A COUPLE who chucked in their stressful careers are helping people in Taunton to relax.

Andy and Denise Spragg searched all over the country for a location to run their business - but nowhere compared to our county town.

It was here that they established Sangha House, in a 19th century former convent in Tower Street in November 2016.

The three-storey premises, now known as Mitre House, features a studio for pilates, yoga and tai chi classes, workshops, gigs, open mic evenings and visits from Tibetan Buddhists on the top flood.

The middle floor is home to therapy sessions, including massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, foot care and cosmetic appointments, as well as a social area where clients are encouraged to mix between classes - the reason for the name Sangha, an old Indian word meaning 'group of friends'.

There is an Aveda hair salon on the ground floor, where eco friendly, organic and vegan products are used.

It's a far cry from the previous careers of Denise, a solicitor by profession who specialised in child care and mental health cases, and Andy, a former programme manager on major infrastructure projects who was behind the faster payments system which enables money to be transferred into your bank account in 15 seconds.

Andy, who was also head of development at TUI UK and Ireland, said: "We had very stressful jobs.

"We started running a retreat business alongside our main jobs.

"It was very popular, so we decided to do what we love and packed in our careers of 26 years."

Denise said: "We were in Bedfordshire and looked all over the country for somewhere to set up.

"We felt Taunton was right. We came here, had a look round and absolutely loved it.

"We get frustrated with the negativity here because we think Taunton is a wonderful place. We encourage people to see the positives."

The business has three staff, but a further 18 instructors, five therapists and three stylists are contracted.

And two further businesses operate out of the building, opposite County Hall - world renowned trumpeter Luis Martelo recently opened a store-cum-workshop there, while Thought international clothing rents space there too.