A new children’s play village featuring a mini version of Whitley Bay has opened in North Tyneside.
Littley Bay, based in the Grosvenor Building on Marine Avenue, is aimed at youngsters aged up to seven.
And it includes a number of miniature role play sets based on real places in Whitley Bay including a Jam Jar Cinema, Di Meo's ice cream parlour, a Co-op supermarket, roads, traffic lights - and even a version of St Mary’s Lighthouse.
The business was started by mums Gemma Turnbull and Michelle Anderson, who wanted to create a pretend village to support imagination and role play, as well as a café with an emphasis on healthy eating.
Mum-of-two Gemma came up with idea five years ago while working for Barnardo’s but it wasn’t until she met Michelle that the vision sprang to life.
She said: "The idea was to create a relaxed space where children can learn through play, while their parents relax and recuperate.
"With our youngest ones now in school we decided to take the leap and follow our dream - combining our passion of parenting with our knowledge and experience in teaching to create a unique role-play experience that will help children flourish in life.
"We hope this will become a place that celebrates our wonderful town, celebrates parents and our gorgeous little humans too."
The mums say the project was a team effort with support from both their husbands. The tiny town was built by Michelle’s husband, Graham, who runs Compass Developments.
Michelle, who has three children, said: "The response so far has been phenomenal and we are so grateful for the support and enthusiasm of our neighbouring businesses. This is a place for all the family to enjoy and we can’t wait to invite people in to explore it."
North Tyneside Mayor Norma Redfearn, who helped to officially open the play village, said: "The most important years in a child’s life are from 0-7 and I’m sure that children will have a wonderful experience here.
"This is a fantastic venue full of wonderful ideas for creativity and imagination and I’m sure this will bring a lot of joy to local families."
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