Last updated at 21:13, Thursday, 09 August 2012

Setting up your own business at the age of 21 sounds like something from a fairytale – but one Seaton woman decided to take the idea literally.

Amy Irving, of Yearl Rise, has set up her own character hire company called Storybook Entertainment, where people can hire an entertainer from popular children’s stories for parties and events.

Amy graduated from the University of Cumbria in April with a degree in photography, and immediately set out to land her dream job as a children’s entertainer.

After having auditions at Disneyland Paris, she decided she wanted a job closer to home but she couldn’t find a company in West Cumbria that hired out characters.

She said: “I looked around to see if there was anyone doing it so I could work for them and I thought ‘why don’t I do it myself?’.

“I started working on costumes on my sewing machine. I like to make them all myself all from home.

“As far as I know it’s the first of its kind in Cumbria.”

Amy goes to events dressed as characters like Cinderella or Rapunzel.

She said that character hiring businesses were popular in the USA but had yet to take off in Britain.

Local entertainment company Glitter Company helped Amy with advice and promotion of the business.

She added: “Having all the children believe that you are their favourite character is fantastic.

“It’s a dream to be doing it full time. Hopefully I can be doing it in the long-term.”

First published at 19:19, Thursday, 09 August 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk