WHEN one door closes another one opens. Although Centre Crafts, in Huntingdon High Street, is closing because of dwindling custom, business is booming at the craft shop in the grounds of Woodhurst s Raptor Foundation. Lynne Pope, who opened the business i

WHEN one door closes another one opens. Although Centre Crafts, in Huntingdon High Street, is closing because of dwindling custom, business is booming at the craft shop in the grounds of Woodhurst's Raptor Foundation.

Lynne Pope, who opened the business in October 2003 and, by March of the following year, had to expand it to meet demand, said custom for wool took off when the wool shop in St Ives closed and she started stocking wool to fill the gap.

Raptor Krafts sells hand-made and other products for 52 crafters, some of them local, as well as haberdashery and other sewing and knitting equipment.

"We are expanding the haberdashery because there's such a need for it round here," said Mrs Pope, who runs the seven-days-a-week business with three part-time staff.

On offer are hand-made quirky signs, jewellery, leather handbags, wooden clocks, cards, pottery and hand-blown perfume bottles. Raptor Krafts also sells Denby and Polish pottery, sewing baskets and knitting bags.

"Once people have been over the threshold, they always come back," she told The Hunts Post. Some come in every week, and we get some footfall from visitors to the foundation."

INFORMATION: Raptor Krafts is at the Raptor Foundation on St Ives Road, Woodhurst, between St Ives and Somersham. Daily opening hours are 10.30am to 5pm. Contact Lynne Pope on 01480 383235.