PEOPLE who are rummaging around in their attics and lofts for Christmas decorations to keep an eye open for anything they consider “trash”, which could become a museum’s treasure.

Backbarrow-based Lakeland Motor Museum is not only the home of more than 150 classic cars and motorbikes, but around 30,000 other artefacts from the motoring world, along with many other period household items that you might not expect to see in a motoring museum.

Toy cars, household and tobacco tins and appliances, postcards, advertising signs, posters, clothing, vintage games, maps, even Smurfs and other petroleum collectables are among the items adding extra life, colour and context to the award-winning collection.

Operations manager Chris Lowe said: “We get hundreds of items donated every year, from car parts to bikes, vintage toys and even boxes of 1980’s washing powder, which are put to good use in our street and shop scenes - allowing us to display our vehicles in the context of the time-periods they’re from.

“There are so many things that were destined for the rubbish bin that were instead donated to the museum. We then give them a clean-up and add them to relevant displays which attract just as much attention as the cars.

Contact Chris on 015395 30400 or email info@lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk.