A business has helped an author reprint popular children's books from mid-1990s.

North East Gifts, based in Prudhoe, has helped author Christopher Goulding to release a reprint of 'Tinseltoon' which came out in 1998 with illustrations from Newcastle-based illustrator Chris Mabbott.

Mr Goulding first thought of the tale in 1994 when he told the story to a friend’s children, Becky, Sarah, Michael, and Paul, on New Year’s Eve.

He went on to read the story on BBC Radio Newcastle in December 1995 and again on Christmas Day in 1996 and 1997.

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The story is set in the city centre of Newcastle when on ‘one enchanted evening’ Grainger the cat tells the tale of what he saw as he roamed the city that night. It was Christmas Eve, and for just five minutes before midnight, the fairy who sits atop the clock of the famous Northern Goldsmiths building comes to life. She flies around the town sprinkling fairy dust on all the other statues, bringing them to life, turning Newcastle into ‘Tinseltoon’.

North East Gifts first sold the children’s book in 2016 having bought them in bulk from Newcastle Library, which had published the original and its second edition in 2012.

Bill Card, director of North East Gifts said: “We took the last remaining copies that the library had and have sold hundreds over the last few years.

“As Christmas 2021 approached, we completely ran out.”

On learning that Newcastle Library and its publishing arm Tyne Bridge Publishing had no plans to reprint the book, Mr Card decided to contact the author directly.

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“Chris was open to the idea from the start and Tyne Bridge Publishing kindly relinquished rights and we started work on a slightly revamped edition for 2022," Bill adds.

Mr Goulding said: “Tinseltoon will always have a very special place in my heart and I was thrilled when North East Gifts approached me to reprint the book.

“Everyone has stories that they remember from childhood and what could be better than a Christmas tale set in a local city?"