A WACKY shopkeeper enthralled youngsters by setting up her magical store in the middle of a school.

The Old Curiosity Shop opened at Beechcroft St Paul’s Primary School in Weymouth to inspire children in the classroom.

Groups of youngsters crawled through a tunnel to be greeted by an Aladdin’s Cave of curios, musical instruments, knick knacks, toys and games.

They woke up sleeping shopkeeper Trudy Bird, who was played by freelance artist Lorna Rees, and explored items in the shop.

Lorna acted the role on behalf of Dorset County Council education arts team DepARTure.

The shop is the first of its kind in the county and was built as a partnership between DepARTure and the Corporation Road school.

Lorna said: “The whole idea is about getting children to find stories.

“We’ve been telling funny stories, sad stories and ghost stories.

“I’ve been introducing children to different sections of the shop and we have a cup of tea and share a biscuit together.”

Each of the school’s youngsters will visit the shop while Lorna is in residence.

The shop, which was built in the school’s music room, will remain at the school for two weeks.

Assistant headteacher Craig Holloway said: “This is part of the creative curriculum and is a hook into story writing to give the children ideas.

“They will use their knowledge from the shop to write their own stories.

“None of them have known about it and it’s been a surprise to everybody.

“This will lead to some very exciting work.”

Items for the Old Curiosity Shop have been on loan from Dorset County Museum and the county council’s Schools Library Service.

Year three youngster Lily, seven, said: “I think the shop is amazing. There’s so much interesting stuff inside. My favourite is the old typewriter.”

Her classmate Fred, eight, said: “I like the bugs because they are big. I was nervous when I came into the shop.”

Hannah Baker, of DepARTure, played ‘the guide’, who led youngsters into the shop.

She, Lorna and her colleague Sandy Wilderspin spent two days setting it up.

Hannah said: “This might happen in other schools. We would like to offer other schools a chance to try this way of learning.”

Lorna said her shopkeeper character has intrigued the children.

“My character is so mad. The children get scared when I shut the book suddenly,” she said.

“I think she is the kind of person you would expect to find running a magic shop.”