'I would love to know what happened to the mini-Blackpool Tower my dad built in the 80's'

A nostalgic mystery surrounding an incredible model of Blackpool Tower has been resurrected after a chance discovery on social media.

For years, Andrew Hutchinson had searched for any trace of the 35 foot replica - a structure painstakingly fabricated by his father in 1985. However his search to uncover its fate was in vain and the trail had long since gone cold.

That changed though through the power of social media.

“I was amazed yesterday to find the tower on Facebook,” he said.

“It was in a picture taken at the Stoke-on-Trent Flower Festival and it’s the one my dad fabricated!”

The rediscovery reveals a story that begins more than four decades ago.

The model was originally commissioned by Blackpool Council as part of an exhibition stand for the World Travel Market at Olympia, London - an event opened that year by Princess Diana.

A West Yorkshire firm, Team Construction, was tasked with building the stand, but turned to specialist help for its centrepiece.

Geoffrey Hutchinson, a steel fabricator and owner of Andmar Engineering in Cleckheaton, was brought in to create an exact scaled replica of the iconic tower.

“He was invited to Blackpool and managed to obtain copies of the original plans,” his son explained.

“He scaled them down because it needed to be an exact mini tower.”

The result was a 35-foot structure built in three sections, the base, trunk and ornate top, designed to be assembled on site.

Constructed primarily from mild steel tubing, with intricate mesh and steel detailing at the summit, the model was crafted to look like the real landmark.

“The top was made from various meshes and steel sections to reflect exactly how Blackpool Tower looks,” he said. “My dad always said if you missed even one piece, it would have looked like a pylon.”

The entire structure was welded using oxy-acetylene gas, a method suited to the thickness of the materials used.

Despite the scale and complexity of the project, Mr Hutchinson charged £6,000 for the work.

“He always moaned afterwards it should have been more,” his son said. “Whether he lost money or just realised later, I don’t know.”

After its debut in London, where it was fully illuminated and lit along its edges, the tower went on to be displayed at the Stoke-on-Trent Flower Festival. Beyond that, its fate became uncertain.

“I heard it might have gone to Holland,” he said. “But because it was originally built for indoor use, I assumed it had rusted away.”

Now, the recent sighting suggests otherwise.

The family is now hoping that others may come forward with more photographs or further information about the tower’s time at Olympia or its journey since.

“If anyone has pictures from Olympia or knows more, I’d be most grateful,” he said.