IT was when Peter Hoarty had to transform his garage into a music workshop that he decided enough was enough.

The Warrington resident had a collection around 50 1960s valve amplifiers and numerous guitars...and they were beginning to take over his house.

“I had to convert the garage into a kind of music room to accomodate them all,” said Peter, from Cinnamon Brow.

“The rest were dotted about in various states of repair in the shed and the back of my car.”

It was then that he realised that there must be plenty of other music enthusiasts like him around the north west.

Peter called his contacts and preparations soon began for his first guitar show at a Manchester hotel in 1998.

Now the 62-year-old is about to host his 50th show at Haydock Park on Sunday, May 19, the flagship show of five he regularly organises.

Peter, who runs the shows with his wife Gail, added: “We just started as a group of enthusiasts.

“They had these kind of shows in America but they were few and far between in the UK.

“To begin with we had about 30 vintage guitar dealers. We still get them but now we also get the biggest names in the industry like Gibson.”

Peter, who plays in Warrington tribute band Golden Eagles, told Weekend that seeing 5,000 guitars in four exhibition halls still gives him a kick.

“We absolutely love it,” he said.

“It’s a lot of work but a fantastic feeling when you see 100 exhibitors and they’re all friends.

“Some have been with us since the first show. It’s like hosting the biggest party.”

In the past, that ‘party’ has even included some of Peter’s musical heros like The Smiths' guitarist Johnny Marr and Whitesnake’s Bernie Marsden.

Peter added: “You never know when Johnny Marr will pop in as he’s a collector and an enthusiast and Bernie Marsden actually played a couple of years ago at Haydock Park.

“We also like to give up-and-coming musicians a chance and this time Ben Poole will be headlining having just done a European tour.”

- The North West Guitar Show comes to Haydock Park Racecourse Exhibition Centre between 10am and 4.30pm on Sunday, May 19