EVERYONE needs a hobby but Henry Holt’s abiding interest was a little more unusual than most.

For the retired builder from Waterfoot collected bricks and in 15 years he had been doing so, when this picture was taken in 1976, he had more than 700 different bricks in his possession.

Together, his collection weighed in at more than two-and-a-half tons and filled his kitchen, garage and kitchen.

He was hoping to use the collection as the basis for a museum of British bricks which he was looking to create near his home and which would be the first of its kind in the world.

Mr Holt had unearthed bricks from every known kiln in Rossendale before collecting them from a wider area.

Using old maps he located the sites of old brickworks around Lancashire and then set off to see what he could find in the area which might relate to that particular site.

He also took a keen interest in demolition sites and was also often to be found nearby whenever brick buildings of any note were being pulled down.