Staffordshire superfan rescues iconic Alton Towers swan boat from Walsall bar

A superfan obsessed with a beloved Alton Towers ride from her childhood spent months tracking down one of its original swan boats for her garden.

Jenny Walker, 38, became determined to own one of the fibreglass swans after growing up riding them at the Staffordshire theme park near her home.

She said: "It wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but it's an iconic thing.

"It brings back so many happy memories of waiting in line with excitement to go on the ride."

The famous Swan Boats attraction carried up to nine visitors around Alton Towers' lake in giant white swans between 1987 and 2003.

Jenny, from Wetley Rocks, Staffs., said she spent much of her childhood at the park and always loved the gentle ride around the water.

She said: "We live near Alton Towers and I spent a lot of my childhood there.

"It just feels like a part of history."

When the ride closed in 2003, the 16 swans were sold off and scattered across the country, becoming prized collectors' items.

Over the years, some have appeared at caravan parks, schools and private homes, while others have reportedly changed hands for substantial sums.

Jenny said: "It was difficult, because one had recently sold on eBay and there was an offer - which was later retracted - for £500,000.

"We know that another sold in our town for £30,000.

"It was hard to compare prices, some people were asking for daft money."

Despite the cost, Jenny eventually spent thousands of pounds acquiring one of the increasingly rare boats.

She launched a lengthy hunt, contacting owners, collectors and enthusiasts in the hope of persuading somebody to part with one.

Jenny said: "Most people said they wanted to pass them down the generations."

Eventually, she set her sights on a swan owned by the Lion Bar & Club in Walsall.

The venue's licensee, Zac Humpage, had owned the boat for years and used it as a stage and photo prop at performances and events.

Jenny said: "At first, they said they weren't interested in parting with the swan because they used it on stage.

"But we bartered back and forth for months and months."

Her persistence eventually paid off when Zac agreed to sell.

Jenny said: "It was amazing, we were ecstatic."

The swan was transported home on a lorry, with Jenny and her family following behind as it made its way up the M6.

She said: "Even when we were driving down the motorway with it, everyone was beeping their horns because they recognised it.

"It’s so well-known and so loved."

The boat has now taken pride of place outside the family’s home, where it has become a favourite of Jenny's daughter, Summer Jane, three.

Jenny said: "She went to nursery one day and when she got home, she just couldn't believe what was in the garden."

Jenny's quest to find a swan came after she bought a house that had become a local landmark thanks to one of the original Alton Towers boats standing outside for around 15 years.

The swan was sold before she completed the purchase, leaving the family determined to find another.

Jenny said: "I remember always seeing it as a child.

"Now I've got my own family, the house came up for sale - and we immediately knew it was the house with the swan.

"But in between the time it was listed for sale and we bought the house, someone local had spotted the chance to offer money for the boat."

Determined to restore the landmark, she eventually succeeded in bringing another original swan back to the village.

And despite the soaring value of the nostalgic attractions, Jenny insists this one won't be going anywhere.

She said: "We're never going to part with it."