A crafty grandmother could be the best in the country – after turning a pram into a sit-on steam train with a working piston for her grandson.

It is not the first time creative Monica Crowe, 67, has fulfilled five-year-old Sonny Crowe’s dreams.

The pram-pimper has also made him an Eddie Stobart truck and a sit-on Thomas the Tank Engine.

The creator of creator of handmade arts and crafts website craftyoldcrow.co.uk said: “He had great faith in me.”


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The Stephenson’s Rocket steam train was put together with the chassis of an old pram, hardboard for the boiler, a cardboard tube for the chimney and a wooden wine box for the seat.

She painted the lot, attached a whistle and glued on a knitted seagull.

Her grandson owns a huge selection of unique toys, but Ms Crowe said: “At the moment, this is his favourite.”

She has also made him giant murals, dressing up clothes, dinosaurs and handmade leather animals.

Ms Crowe said: “I'm thinking of starting a business called Pimp My Pram.”

She sells some of her “limited edition, unique, new and exclusive” creations using recycled materials on her website, raising money and awareness for the NSPCC, Emmaus Brighton & Hove and the Marlets Hospice.

She said: “I started off painting furniture to sell at Emmaus.

“I then knitted the contents of a full size sitting room which was displayed at Emmaus during the Brighton Festival a couple of years ago.

“That was followed by a full size knitted garden the year after.”

All of her handmade arts and crafts can be viewed at an Open Garage at her home in Seafield Road, Hove on the first Saturday of every month from 11am to 4pm.

One of the main attractions is usually a full sized knitted bike, but Ms Crowe added: “When we took the Stephensons Rocket out on the first Saturday in January it got the most attention.

“A lot of children had rides on it.”