EVERY cloud has a silver lining, as Worcester business couple Mark and Heather Stewart are finding out.

When their franchiser went into liquidation, they decided to go it alone and are now looking forward to the future.

Mark and Heather own Formative Fun and Left n Write in Charles Street and as from July 1, they will be changing their trading name to Wise Owl Toys.

With the liquidation of franchisor Formative Fun Ltd, Mark and Heather have decided the time is right to manage the business alone.

Since opening their shop more than seven years ago, they have received an accolade for their outstanding business performance and were the most successful franchisees in the Formative Fun network of retail outlets and distributors across the UK and Ireland in June 2003.

Mark and Heather became franchisees after five years in the retail trade with Anything Left Handed.

They believe that the shop is successful because it carries such a wide and comprehensive range of products - including those designed to help children with special needs - and because they and their staff are trained to give advice and help to parents, teachers and playgroup leaders.

"Although the name is changing, we will still be in the same place, keep the same ethos, staff and product selection," said Mr Stewart.

"We are producing our own catalogue and a new website will go live in early July. We believe education today is all about the partnership between parent and school, an ideal that we will continue,''