THE men behind the restoration of the Severn Princess ferry in Chepstow have been given an exact replica of the boat.

Tim Ryan and Dr Richard Jones were at the open day on Thursday when Ralph Stockton of Southampton turned up unexpectedly with his model of the boat which used to carry goods and people across the Severn before the bridges were built.

Said Tim: "We could not believe it when he came, his visit made the event so special and we were speechless when he gave us the model.

"It's beautiful and we will be taking it with us when we give talks on the restoration project.

"Apparently Mr Stockton has always been a model-maker and to make a ferry is every model-maker's dream challenge.

"He copied the ferry exactly because he had been given the original plans by the owners of the boat.

"Because it took him two and a half years, by the time he'd finished with the plans the company had gone bust and he had nowhere to return the plans to so he still had them.

"He contacted us at Christmas and said he still had the plans. But it was a total surprise to see him at the open day. He had booked a cottage in Devauden so he could attend."

The open days on Thursday and yesterday (Sunday) were held to raise awareness of the ongoing project and to raise funds to continue with the restoration, which was last year hit by a devastating fire.

The return of the boat to its original home was only made possible thanks to the generosity of local businessman Terry Johnsey, who used the ferry when he first started in business in Chepstow.

Special guest on Sunday was Diana Beacham who launched the ferry in 1959 with a bottle of champagne.

Also there were all the members of Dr Richard Jones's family, for it was his grandfather Enoch Williams' Old Passage Ferry Company which ran the boat.