SUCCESS is proving to be child's play for Harrogate's newest indoor play centre, The Time Machine.

The centre, run by business partners Susan Reid and Heidi Farrar, and established with help and advice from the Harrogate and Craven Business Development Centre, is celebrating its first quarter with three times the number of customers originally anticipated.

Mrs Reid and Mrs Farrar had projected 5,000 children would visit the centre in Hookstone Avenue in the first four months, but this week Tyler Cant, aged three, of Burn Bridge, became the 15,000th child through the door.

A big lure is The Time Machine's series of separate play gyms enabling children to "travel through time", from a pre-historic area designed for babies, to a medieval castle for toddlers and a futuristic space station for five to ten-year-olds.

As a result of the Time Machine's growing popularity financial targets have been exceeded by 40 per cent, the venture now employs six full-time and 16 part-time staff and it is already looking to recruit more staff to meet the demand.

The two women attribute their success in part to sound planning advice from business adviser Shirin Borrett, of the Harrogate and Craven Business Development Centre - a partner organisation of Business Link York and North Yorkshire that delivers Business Link services to companies in their early years of trading.

Mrs Reid said: "Shirin was very helpful, giving us objective, professional advice. She guided us through the whole business start-up process from advising us on the lease to helping us with marketing and financial aspects.

"Most importantly, she assisted us in developing a comprehensive business plan, which helped us secure a loan to set up the business."

She said: "We have far exceeded expectations and on our busiest day we had 600 children through the door."

The Time Machine features a range of climbing structures and has attracted customers from as far a field as York, Wetherby and Leeds.

Updated: 09:50 Thursday, July 22, 2004