The humble toy shop - a place where children's eyes instantly light up with joy, cherished memories are made and where magic is truly all around.
Many of us treasure our memories of visiting a toy shop when we were children.
Maybe you remember the first time you ever saw a jack-in-the-box, maybe you can envisage the cuddly toy you would take to bed with you every night or maybe you remember running into the Disney shop to dive onto the pile of teddies that was once the most-loved part of the store.
There is something about a toy shop that will always be magical and nostalgic no matter how old you get, simply because it's easy to remember how enchanting it felt to walk into a toy shop when you were a child.
Now a traditional toy shop isn't something you often see on your average high street but, in Pontypridd, you'll find one tucked away at Pontypridd Indoor Market.
Sugar & Spice is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month. Even though the small business has seen many ups and downs over the last three decades, it's still standing proud and continuing to bring joy to children across the Valleys.
Gaynor Wood, now 58, from Tonypandy, started the small stall back in 1992. At the time she was looking for a part-time job, as her daughter was about to turn one.
Back in the early 90s Gaynor said "town centres were thriving", and the outdoor and indoor markets were completely full with people waiting for stalls to become available.
Thinking back to when she first opened the stall, Gaynor said: "It was a time prior to E-commerce, and my business thrived and grew. Part-time became full-time, and I took on more space.
"My husband gave up his job and joined the business.
"1995 was a very influential year. Ty Beanie babies became the absolute thing that everyone wanted, because people thought they could make money on E-Bay, which also started that year.
"People would buy from us at regular price and sell on E-Bay for inflated prices, which was great for both parties. This continued until 1999.
"I loved going to trade shows to find the next big thing. In 1997 we were one of the first businesses to sell Teletubbies.
"We ordered them when they were only proto-types. Little did we know the madness people would go to get these for their children, with large queues forming at Toys R Us, but we never exploited anyone and sold them at regular prices to our loyal customers, and we like to think they appreciated this."
But, in 2000, Gaynor said E-commerce really started to make an impact. She said up until that point people had a fear of the internet, expecting the whole thing to crash down with the millennium bug.
Business gradually declined and then, in 2008, she claimed extra strain was put on the business as the town was pedestrianised.
Gaynor said: "The pavements were dug up for such a long time, and people stopped visiting Ponty and going elsewhere.
"This was a really hard time. My husband left the business to find another job, as the income from the business dramatically decreased.
"I had to find a way to fight back. I loved my business and my customers.
"I had seen children who came in and played with our toy trains come in as teenagers for the next craze, and who eventually grew up and come in now with their own children.
"Social media became our saviour, with the help of my now grown-up children.
"I opened my Facebook page. I could use this to reach people who didn’t visit the town, and show off our shop.
"I knew this wasn’t enough. We had to attract people to visit, and we did our first re-vamp in 2014, with the help of Pontypridd Market Company.
"A huge inflatable Dino adorned the front of the stall, and we held a competition to name him and he became Pontysaurus. Sadly, he eventually punctured, and became extinct, but I saw from that people love to engage in competitions and events."
In 2020 further challenges arose as coronavirus hit, which was something nobody could have ever envisaged.
But Gaynor was determined not to give up - the team went out delivering to customers and also ran competitions on Facebook to keep people engaged with the business.
"We did our best to get everyone what they wanted, and we would take it to them," she added.
"I think people appreciated that, and they have come back to us, which is really nice to see.
"It wasn't about making money - it was just about keeping in contact with everyone."
But, despite facing another challenging time, Gaynor said lockdown really made people appreciate their town centres.
She said people seemed to miss visiting shops, socialising with others and having days out with their children.
Not to mention lots of new businesses have popped up in the town centre over the past year or so, which has brought more visitors back to Pontypridd.
"I think people want more now than just going on the internet," Gaynor added.
"They realised in lockdown that it's not the same. People appreciated towns more because they then knew what it was like without them.
"People want to touch and feel things. They want to come in, and the children can play.
"It would be a shame to see them disappear, because the children wouldn't know what a toy shop would be like.
"It's important to keep small businesses going.
"People are coming back into the town. It's so good to see. It's great to see children coming in with their families."
Now Gaynor would like to see the business become one of the reasons why people actually visit the town, as both the town centre and the indoor market have seen major changes in recent years, with many independent businesses having emerged since the pandemic.
The market is home to award-winning restaurant, Janet's Authentic Northern Chinese Restaurant, and also homes the likes of Cortile Coffee.
To add some extra magic to Sugar & Spice, Gaynor has even created a giant chess board in the middle of the stall, and purchased other giant games, to make children's visits as exciting and interactive as possible.
The first thing that comes to mind when you see it is the chess scene that's depicted in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Who would have thought you could find so much magic at Ponty Market?
Gaynor said: "We are trying to keep it magical.
"It's quite exciting really. What I really love about it is that the children can come in and play.
"You'll also have people, and they'll come in and say: 'I came here 20 years ago, and now I want something for my children'.
"They still remember us even after all that time, and that's pretty cool."
Speaking about the re-vamp of the market, she added: "They are really trying hard to draw people in.
"I have seen people come and go and it has gone up and down, and it's really on the up again."
After three decades of highs and lows, and many challenges and changes, what's inspiring when you speak to Gaynor is that she's never wanted to give up, and that's pretty special.
We only get to be young once, and all children deserve to have a little magic in their lives growing up - whether it be playing a human-sized game of chess, taking home your first doll's house or setting up your first toy train track on the living room floor.
When you think about it, can we truly say there is anything more enchanting than a toy shop?
Sometimes the most wonderful little treasures can be found in the smallest and most unassuming of places, and for three decades so much joy has been produced from this little stall at Pontypridd Indoor Market.
Speaking about what has kept the business going over the years, Gaynor said: "When things go down, I sit there and think: 'What can I do to make people come back? What can I do to get people back in?
"I've always been stubborn. It's my baby, and I've never wanted to let it go."
To keep the magic alive in Pontypridd visit the Sugar & Spice Facebook page to keep up to date with all their events and offers.
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