Norwich's first baby cafe is set to be officially opened at the weekend, which aims to provide a social hub for parents and children in the area.

A former wedding dress shop in Sussex Street was transformed into Twinkle Toes Soft Play Baby Cafe in March and already provides a range of baby and toddler classes.

The venue, run by mother-of-two Ingrid Henry, is set to have its grand opening on Saturday June 28 from 10am to 4pm.

The businesswoman said she decided to open up the baby cafe after becoming a mother in 2009 and struggled to find a place in Norwich to meet up with other new mums.

She said: 'I was so excited to start doing all of the things that mums and babies do together, however finding these places was harder than I thought. I would meet up with friends in coffee shops and cafes but found it difficult to feel at ease with my baby, whilst trying to have a conversation and cup of coffee with my friends. We went to many children's indoor play areas and such like, but there were none suitable just for babies and toddlers.

'All I wanted was a place where I could meet up with friends, somewhere clean, good value for money and above all baby

friendly.'

The baby cafe already stages a host of activities, including antenatal classes, messy time, Sing, Song and Story Time, breastfeeding classes and is a venue for parties and family events.

The venture also has groups for expecting parents and those with premature babies to pop in for a chat and to share experiences with other families. The venue serves up a range of hot and cold beverages, homemade food, and soft play area and toys for babies and toddlers up to three years old.

The grand opening on Saturday will be performed by Peppa Pig and there will be nine different baby and toddler classes doing free demonstrations throughout the day.

For more information, call 01603 219266.