GALLERY: ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ star Nigel Marven draws crowd to ‘Fossils Galore’ shop extension in the Fens

Fossils Galore official opening with Nigel Marven, star of Prehistoric Park and BBC Walking with Dinosaurs. Customers queuing to enter the shop.Picture: Steve Williams. (Image: Archant)

Mr Marven, who officially launched the new extension to Fossils Galore, spent the day at the High Street centre signing autographs and giving a talk on the work behind the scenes on his TV shows.

The star, who is described as a time travelling zoologist, will support the continuing work of the centre which was set up by Jamie Jordan 19 months ago.

The centre aims to be a place where local people can learn about the past - the most proud possession is the world’s oldest giant fossil fish.

Mr Jordan, proprietor and founder of Fossils Galore, said.; “The day was a huge success, the place was packed with queues down the road.

“We have gone from strength to strength since opening and on the day were proud to hear that the mayor felt the shop helps the economy of the town.”

The centre houses a gigantic prehistoric fish, believed to have been 27 foot long and the oldest fossil big fish found to date worldwide.

The Fossils Galore big fish lived 163 million years ago and lived in the shallow tropical seas which covered this area of the UK at that time.

It will take years for the work on the big fish to be complete but it is already known that after it died it was scavenged by plesiosaurs and sharks.

Mr Marven is renowned for bringing to life in vivid detail creatures which lived and died millions of years ago and has featured in programmes including Killer Whale Islands, Nigel’s Wild Wild World and Walking with Dinosaurs Sea Monsters.

Mr Jordan said: “He gave a talk on behind the scenes on Prehistoric Park and Walking with Dinosaurs and gave a live reptile handling talk, both of which were very well received.”