Lewis Collins arrived in Burton in true 'professional' style in August 1982. The actor who was well-known for playing Bodie in the top TV series The Professionals, flew from Zurich to visit Greenfingers DIY store, in Curzon Street.

The star had been doing a chat show in Switzerland before jetting back to Heathrow and catching a helicopter to the Allied Brewery playing fields, in Belvedere Road.

At the time of his visit, the actor had just finished his first movie – Who Dares Wins – a film inspired by the Iranian Embassy siege of 1980.

The helicopter carrying the actor was emblazoned with Who Dares Wins logos and it could have been his on-screen character Captain Peter Skellen of the SAS dashing across the brewery playing field as Collins looked very much like a battle-ready soldier.

Lewis Collins flew into Burton to open a store in Curzon Street
Lewis Collins flew into Burton to open a store in Curzon Street

This was Collins' first visit to the area and after visiting the Greenfingers store, he dined at the Stanhope Arms before staying the night at a hotel in Derby.

Speaking in 1982, Greenfingers chairman Winston Simmill said: "We are trying to attract people into the store and keep the name of Greenfingers in the public eye.

It's a promotional exercise but I am not disclosing how much it is costing. It is an awful lot of money but that does not matter.

"We came to Burton in March 1982 and the Burton people and people from the surrounding areas have responded tremendously.

"It is our way of saying thank you to the public and still keeping the Greenfingers name in the public eye."