A cheery Midlands woman is looking to have her customers "in stitches".

But this is no laughing matter, for, at the age of 59, Gillian Taylor has just launched her first ever business venture - a shop in Studley, Warwickshire, selling wool and hand-made knitted items, haberdashery, embroidery and silks.

In Stitches In Studley opened recently at 1 Belmont House, 32 High Street, and is going well.

And she was helped along the way by commercial property agent, Redditch-based John Truslove.

The mother of three, who has seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild, decided to take a new direction, opting for redundancy from West Midlands Police where she was a civilian worker for the last 25 years.

"It was a risk - I wasn't sure what I wanted to do."

But now she has effectively turned her hobby - knitting - into a full-time job.

She said: "I used to travel into Birmingham for my wool but then the proprietor there decided to retire.

"I did a bit of research and decided there was a real call for this sort of shop in Studley. It is a good location because the High Street is very busy and there is passing trade from the mothers dropping off and picking up their children at nearby Studley Infant School.

"I have never run a business before in my life, so there has been a bit of trepidation. But the first day was steady and the general interest has been phenomenal. There is definitely a demand there. There are quite a lot of elderly residents who would enjoy the facility but there has also been reaction from younger people. And hopefully it is an asset to Studley - one or two other independent shops have opened up recently and it makes the village look so much better."

John Truslove said: "Gillian is a very brave and determined lady and I feel sure she will make a good go of this.

"I wish her every success with the new venture."

And getting the shop open has been a real family affair.

Son Martin, a carpenter, worked weekends and evenings refurbishing the premises while sister Jean Butler helps out at the shop which is open 9-5.30 Monday to Friday and 9-4 on Saturdays.

Next step is to get a regular "Knit and Natter" event established.

Wool prices vary - £1.35 a ball for 100 grammes at the cheaper end, £4.50 for a 50 gramme ball for sock-making wool, and dearer still as the quality rises.

Oddly, despite the number of sheep reared in Britain, most of the wool these days comes from Turkey.

The 612 sq ft shop has been taken on five year lease.

For more information on John Truslove, view the website here: www.johntruslove.com