Sunny outlook (From Warrington Guardian)

Sunny outlook

A RAY of sunshine has brightened up a dilapidated, dismal Runcorn shopping centre, thanks to two enterprising mums.

Fed up working in a children's nursery, mums Bryony Roberts, 32, and Joanne Gaffney, 31, decided to launch their own suntan business - in Castlefields.

"It was a little bit scary," said mother-of-two Bryony. "I had to learn how to use a computer. We didn't know what we were doing at first but people have been brilliant. We've had so much help."

The mums transformed a former hair salon into a bright, modern beauty salon.

"It was all boarded up and horrible, we did most of the work ourselves," said Bryony. "We both looked like Charlie Dimmocks. You should have seen us covered in plaster!"

With free professional guidance from Business Link and the support of family and friends, they welcomed their first clients.

"On our first day, everyone in the caf opposite stood up and cheered," recalled Bryony. "We felt so proud.

"People should invest in this area now. All these lovely new houses are going up making the area look nicer.

"It's been really hard and you get really tired but we don't mind getting up in the morning now. It will be worth it in the end."