IT'S not every day that you go out to buy a sofa and come home with a fancy dress shop but that's what happened to Kay Heywood.

And 10 years later, she's now the proud owner of not one but two shops selling everything from Bill and Ben and The Tin Man outfits to Thunderbirds and characters from Star Wars.

Kay was working at engineering company JJ Haslam and had gone to look at a sofa for her son's flat.

The seller was the owner of the long-established Fancy That fancy dress shop in Chorley Old Road who had been forced to close because of illness in the family.

"The owner was the auntie of my friend at work and she'd told me about Fancy That so it must have been on my mind," recalled Kay.

"The sofa wasn't right for my son's flat, but I asked Tricia if she'd consider selling the shop to me. It was a bit of a shock to my husband Joe as we'd not really discussed it, but Tricia agreed."

Bolton born Kay had worked at Boots and WH Smith News where she gained her customer service experience and office skills.

"I'd always wanted to have a shop, although I wanted something interesting. And I've always loved fancy dress and organising parties - although I can't do that now because people accuse me of trying to push my business!" she laughed.

Kay started building up trade once more, gradually extending the range of costumes and accessories. "Then, it was all about the '70s," she said, "but now it's the '80s."

Four years ago, when she went along to buy some costumes from Willibobs in Leigh Road, Leigh, which was closing down, she ended up once more buying the business.

Today, both shops are doing well, with, as Kay explained, "thousands of costumes of all types." They also sell hundreds of wigs and special effects make-up. The internet has badly affected fancy dress shops with many closing but Kay is optimistic.

She sells outfits for about £25 each or around the same to hire a better quality one worth £150 to £200, when customers also leave a bond and ID.

Kay still loves fancy dress and is genuinely enthusiastic about what she sells. So what would she choose for a fancy dress party then? "Tweedle Dum," she stated firmly, "with my husband as Tweedle Dee!"