THE widow of one of East Lancashire's best known and respected tattoo artists who died suddenly is to open up his dream premises -- with a poignant new name.

Paul and Gaye Gornall were in the process of moving their Eagles Wings studio from Mill Lane, Blackburn, when Paul died of a suspected heart attack in August.

Gaye had been viewing premises at nearby Mincing Lane on the very day he died.

Award-winning Paul, known to his friends and customers as Goz, tattooed a number of well-known people in the area, including four times World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty.

He never got to see the new site but on Saturday Gaye will officially open the new studio after more than a decade in Mill Lane.

And she has touchingly decided to drop the 's' in honour of Paul, who was 46. Instead of Eagles Wings the new studio will simply be called Eagle Wing. Gaye said: "It was Eagle Wings when there were two of us but now there's only me. So it's just Wing.

"Goz never got to see the new shop but he would have loved it. It's done out in an American style which is what he wanted." Tattooist Trevor Lake will work at the studio after being trained by Paul.

At the funeral in September a motorbike hearse carried Paul from Rivington Barn, a favoured gathering place for bikers, to Pleasington Cemetery, where he was laid to rest.

A cavalcade of more than 30 riders flanked the hearse, passing through Belmont and the home of Paul's parents in Shadsworth before arriving at Pleasington.

Paul's 16-year-old daughter Fay led the escort, riding pillion on the bike of Paul's best friend Stuart Colquhoun.

Gaye said it was with mixed emotions that she would be opening the new studio.

She said: "It's sad but in a way it's easier for me. It was as if Goz was around the corner at the last studio and I was always looking for him."