YOUNGSTERS are stepping back in time to see for real how people lived in the first century.

Kay Street Baptist Church in Rawtenstall has converted its hall into a spectacular Palestinian street complete with homes, townsfolk at their daily work, a well and a pottery house.

More than 400 children from junior and high schools will be visiting the church's millennium project, which was the brainchild of minister for the past five years, the Rev Adrian Argile.

He said: "It is the most ambitious project the church has ever done.

"We wanted to do this last year, but then we got permission to do improvement works on the front of the building so we put the project back to this year. Many people believe this is the real millennium anyway.

"I had the idea two years ago and we got a group together and starting collating all the different suggestions and the final project is outcome of all those different ideas.

"It is super and very different and much bigger than what I first thought of."

Six 'houses' give children the chance to scroll paint, make pottery, leatherwork, make beads, learn first century games, bake bread, weave and see a stonemason in action.

Fabulous paintings and scenery have been added to the church hall walls by Robin Coulston, 57, a former art teacher from Salford who attends Kay Street, and a team of three helpers.

He said: "This was my vision of what a Palestinian street would look like and I basically worked to recreate it.

"We started the painting mid-January and finished it 7.30pm on Saturday in time to open on Monday!

"The last thing I did was to put the houses together and sort out the lighting."

Retired builder's mason George Quinton, 76, was delighted to be a part of the project. He said: "I think it is marvellous. The children are fascinated when they come through."

The scene impressed eight-year-old John Lord, of St Mary's C of E School, Rawtenstall. He said: "I have done some pottery, played some games and watched a man carving stone. It has been good fun."

The project also looks at today, with dramas held in the church to explain the parables, and there is even a computer section.

The exhibition is on until April 8. ANCIENT CRAFT: Robin Coulston demonstrates how he re-creates pottery of 2,000 years ago BIBLICAL TIMES: Hazel Pretty (centre) and other church members making leather products in Kay Street Baptist Church