A TAVISTOCK shop opened by a grieving mother in memory of her baby son is thriving – and now, with a new baby daughter in her arms, she is moving onwards and upwards into bigger premises.

Kathryn Rowlands is staging an open morning on Saturday from 10am at her new shop in the outer perimeter of Tavistock Pannier Market. Nearby cafe the East Gate Cafe and Brasserie ia donating cup cakes for the party and many friends will be coming to wish the business well. All are welcome.

Kathryn opened her furniture upcycling business Alex’s Oak Tree last summer in Paddons Row. Now she is moving to the former Dartmoor Deli premises in the outer pannier market, which has plenty of room for all her furniture and stock of Frenchic chalk paints.

Kathryn’s business was born out of her grief after she and her partner lost their son Alex aged only eight months old. Baby Alex died of Kawasaki disease, an inflammatory disease, in Derrifrord Hospital in April 2020. In the aftermath of the tragedy, when the covid lockdowns meant staying at home, Kathryn, who lives in Buckland Monachorum, found an outlet for her grief in painting upcycled furniture. Now, with Kathryn’s sister Hannah providing the babysitting for new baby Ida, born just 13 weeks ago, Kathryn is ready to expand her business

She said Alex remained at the heart of her business – she discovered an artistic talent she never knew she had after he died. “It was something in the desperate pit of grief I started doing,” she said. “I started doing really small bits of furniture and realised that actually it was therapeutic and a really good thing to do. Everyone thought it was something that would help me through the hardest of times. Then, I thought, actually I am going to make a business out of this.”

She said the new premises had “much better access” with people able to drive up and unload furniture right outside the shop. Sister Hannah says: “Everyone has been so supportive because they can see how brave Kath is and how she hard she has worked to get to this stage.”