AS he visited a rainy Ellesmere Port on Friday, larger-than-life politician John Prescott joked it was far too wet for him to play croquet.

The Deputy Prime Minister poked fun at himself and his profile in the national Press when he paid a surprise visit to the town's Boat Museum.

And the Pioneer was the only media outlet invited to watch him unveil a plaque marking the site's new name, the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port.

Speaking without notes, Mr Prescott started off with the croquet gag, referring to the occasion earlier this year when he was snapped playing the lawn game, then reminisced about growing up in the Port.

He said: 'We passed my old Flatt Lane school. It's wonderful the new college development there now, and shows how the Port is forging ahead with education.

'And this museum is a great facility for children to see how life on the waterways was.

'It was always sad how canals were allowed to decline over the years, and coming into power in 1997, that was something I was interested in. I spoke to Chancellor Gordon Brown about it.

'What we have got here in Ellesmere Port is a wonderful museum. You all say you want to see more money for it. Well, I'm very happy to join that campaign.'

Touring the museum's new two-storey historical attraction, Mr Prescott met staff and was shown the exhibits by Roger Hanbury, chief executive of the Waterways Trust, and Sophie Fowler, its head of collections.

He later told the Pioneer it had been an enjoyable visit.

And when asked about last week's headlines alleging he called US President George Bush a 'cowboy' and his Middle East policies 'crap', Mr Prescott smiled and replied: 'That's up to you Press guys, that is.'

Mr Hanbury thanked the museum's major funding partners Heritage Lottery, North West Development Agency, WREN recycling and Europe's ERDF, and also the Boat Museum Society, borough and county councils.