A long time ago in a pit village far, far away...

Ben Potter has been a Star Wars fan since the early 1980s when his dad first showed him the original films

When Ben Potter was a young boy recreating TIE fighter space battles in the 1980s, he could never have dreamed that 40 years later his childhood passion would become his job.

"I live and breathe Star Wars. I go to bed thinking about it," he said.

On Saturday, residents of the village of Royston, four miles north of Barnsley, could witness the unlikely sight of an army of sci-fi superfans descending on the former mining village for the opening of Ben's new memorabilia shop.

The former club doorman from Southport spotted a property for sale on Midland Road last year, and noted with interest that the old village post office, which closed in 2011, was attached to the side of the house and came as part of the sale.

Ben realised that his collection of toys from the George Lucas films - which had grown into an online business and were kept in a storage unit in Leeds - could finally have their own display.

Ben bought a house in Royston and converted the old post office next door into his own Star Wars shop

Reflecting on his journey to becoming his own boss, the collector said: "I'm a baby trader.

"The average age of Star Wars collectors is a little bit higher but I didn't get to see any of the originals at the cinema.

"I was more of a prequel man.

"I got into Star Wars because my dad loved it. We used to love all the sci-fi.

"He used to take me to Toy and Hobby near Preston Market and we'd buy a figure each week, all 99p each."

As a teenager "beer and girls" put his early obsession on hold - but a change in personal circumstances in 2013 saw the Force reawaken.

"When my dad passed away I was clearing out the stuff from the house, I went up in the attic and found all my collection," he said.

"At that point I was quite flexible with my working time.

"I had a lot of spare time so I got back into collecting in a big way."

Reflecting on previous jobs in recruitment and as security staff, he said: "I remember other jobs I've had, I just sat there taking a wage, not doing anything.

"I didn't care. I wasn't bothered and then the transformation is when you actually find a job that you dearly love.

"I genuinely believe very few people experience it.

"It's unbelievable to have such job satisfaction."

Ben says finding a job that you 'dearly love' is not something everyone experiences

Over the years he has expanded his collection, grabbing items from online auctions and sci-fi conventions.

Upstairs in the old post office, even the casual fan will recognise the classic Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader figures still in their packaging, locked away securely in glass cabinets.

More unusual items include toothbrushes displaying Ewoks, Princess Leia and Jedi masters, as well as an Ewok comb and Return of the Jedi tape dispenser.

The Star Wars shop is filled with memorabilia from the films covering the last 50 years

A life-size mould of Han Solo frozen in carbonite from The Empire Strikes Back greets customers as they descend into the basement, where mugs, Lego and squeaky Chewbacca toys are up for grabs.

Ben said he was braced for a "hectic" opening day due to the level of interest on social media, and had brought in extra staff to help with crowd control.

For him personally, it will be a "proud" moment when he opens the shutters after years of "mixed reactions" to his hobby.

"Before I met my partner I found that some women found it a complete and utter turn-off.

"They just didn't want to know. It's like I've got a disease or something."

But he added: "Each to their own.

"They probably think it's childish, which is fair enough.

"But, you know, it's not only my passion, I'm also running a very, very successful business."

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