Memories of Hayway Nursery Unit 1989 - 1992

Photo of Hayway Nursery Unit

Two of my children David and Jenny went to the Hayway Nursery Unit. David went in 1989 and Jenny in 1991. The children were divided into “tutor groups” with a teacher and an assistant for each. Children attended every weekday, either in the mornings or the afternoons. Mine went in the mornings.  When they went in, the children had to change their shoes for plimsolls and go to say good morning  to the teacher and assistant before going off to play. David was quite happy to say hello to his teacher in the mornings, but Jenny was a very different child. She had always refused to speak to anyone outside of her immediate family so each morning it was a battle to get her to go and see Mrs Torr, her teacher. Jenny would stand in front of her, pulling faces and staring at the ground while Mrs Torr tried to cajole a few words out of her, but all in vain.

Parents were on a rota for helping, which involved preparing the snacks for the children. The first time I helped, I had to make Marmite soldiers with Marmite straight out of the fridge – not an easy task. Activities at Hayway included playing with dolls and the home corner, playing outside with bikes, sand and toy cars, painting and drawing, and music. Every Thursday, the head teacher from the Infant school would come in to play the piano for the nursery children, and every Thursday I would come to collect my son only to find him huddled on the teacher’s lap, frightened by the noise of the piano. In the summer, if the weather was nice, the children went in the school swimming pool, again, accompanied by their parents. As the school was for nursery and infant children, the water was not very deep. Christmas saw the children dressing up to perform a Nativity Play for parents. The highlight for me was the child playing one of the three kings who solemnly processed to the manger proudly wearing a crown bearing the words “Burger King.” Father Christmas came to the Nursery bringing presents for the children. Jenny received a pink Flintstones mug which is still in my kitchen cupboard today.

Picture of Jenny on the carousel at Woburn, July 1992

In the summer term there was a coach outing to Woburn Safari Park for the children and their parents. We drove through the Safari Park looking at all the animals, especially the monkeys and the lions, and then had time to explore the rest of the attractions, including the sea lion show and funfair rides. The elephants were led around the park by their Keepers during the day too which entertained the children.

All Jenny can remember about her year at Hayway is that there was a sandpit outside and a water toy with boats but they weren’t always allowed to play on them.