A REPLICA of a ship built on Tyneside almost destroyed by a wayward pub pool player has been restored and given a new home.

The model of the Mauretania suffered extensive damage while on display in a North Tyneside pub named after the ship.

It has now been lovingly restored and given a new home at a hotel with a strong maritime theme in Northumberland.

The RMS Mauretania, built at the Swan Hunter yard in Wallsend, was launched in 1906. The liner held the record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic for more than 20 years.

The historical scale replica of the ship was originally built by the late Robert Smailes Anderson, model shipwright for Swan Hunter. It sat on display in the Mauretania pub at Howdon from the 1960s.

But a couple of years ago it suffered major damage when its display case was hit with a pool cue.

The damaged replica was acquired by the White Swan hotel at Alnwick.

It was given to model ship craftsman Brian Chambers, who was working on another replica of the Mauretania for an Asian client, for restoration.

Such was the damage, the replica had to be stripped back to the bare wood with every deck removed.

Brian, who had marvelled at the model as a teenager, had to source the original plans for the ship from the Greenwich Maritime Museum and build all of the handrails, cappings, masts and rigging, and eight of the lifeboats from scratch.

The job saw him devote up to eight hours a day over 18 months.

The restored model has now taken pride of place in the White Swan’s Olympic dining room.

The Olympic was the sister ship of the Titanic and was launched in 1911. It was a floating palace for the rich and famous until it was scrapped in 1937.

Before it was dismantled, the then owner of the White Swan bought the Olympic’s dining room and installed it in the hotel.

Brian said: “I have been building Airfix kits since I was a lad, then moved on to scale replicas of sailing ships that I used to build with my dad when I was 19.

“It has been on show in the Mauretania pub since the 1960s and as a 16-year-old I always admired it. I never thought I would one day be restoring it!

“A chap in China wanted a 6ft 6ins model and I was making good progress until James from the White Swan called.

“I am extremely pleased with the work and hope that all those that visit the dining room where it has pride of place will enjoy it too.”

James Thompson, general manager of the Classic Lodges-owned White Swan, said: “Brian has done an excellent job and I am very grateful to him for interrupting his other project to fit our model into his schedule. The Mauretania is back in pride of place in time for our annual dinner in the Olympic dining room.”

I have been building Airfix kits since I was a lad, then moved on to scale replicas of sailing ships