East Lancashire has many strong connections to the Titanic tragedy, which happened on 14th April 1912. There were said to be more than 100 Lancashire-based personnel who were aboard, including bandmaster Wallace Hartley who was from Colne. North Lancs Training Group's head office at Bradshawgate House in Accrington has an unusual boardroom, filled with memorabilia from the Titanic.
The boardroom is filled with wood panelling, one of only 50 ever made replica mahogany Captain's Table from the Titanic, chairs, sideboard, a replica of the Titanic itself and a teaspoon, amongst other unusual memorabilia. The connection came about through the original manufacturers of the Captain's Table, Gilbert Logan and Sons, becoming a Member Company of North Lancs Training Group, and the managing director of NLTG at the time deciding to commemorate their strength in the furniture industry, and the Lancashire connection, by theming the new board room to commemorate the Titanic.
Gareth Lindsay, managing director of NLTG, commented: "The boardroom is a magnificent tribute to the Titanic, however we feel that it's time to move the exhibits to a good home as we invest in and refurbish our premises. Perhaps there are relatives of people involved who would like to own a piece of history, or we are open to donating them to a museum.
"We would be looking for financial offers of over £10,000 due to the rarity of the pieces we have, and we have quite a few of them. We are also willing to donate to a museum if they will be displayed for the public to see - it's not possible to allow people in to see our boardroom, and this would give the pieces a fitting next chapter in their existence.
"We also have lots of smaller items, including replica limited edition prints, which we will make available by separate negotiation to allow people to take a smaller piece of the collection.
"If anyone would like to make an offer or enquire, please do get in touch with us. We would love to see them go to a great home!"
North Lancs Training Group can be contacted on 01254 395355, or by email on [email protected] - serious enquiries are very much welcomed.
More information about NLTG's Apprenticeships can be found on their website or by calling their recruitment team on 01254 395355. Vacancies are available across the board including Business Administration, Catering and Hospitality, Customer Service, Digital Marketing, Furniture Occupations, Digital IT Support and Retail.