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Eastbury Day Nursery - Matron reports as follows:-
The year 1966 has been the first complete year since we came to our new
Nursery. The children have enjoyed the extra space and facilities that are
available.
Staffing problems have been very difficult, mainly due to trained staff
shortages.
Three nursery students entered for the N.N.E.B. examination in July, and I
am pleased to report they were all successful.
I feel that it has been a happy and successful year.
Fanshawe/Annie Prendergast Day Nursery - Matron reports as follows:-
We spent most of 1966 at Fanshawe Nursery, only moving to our new nursery
on 24th October of that year. It was indeed a busy, and in a way a rather
unsettling period, the enquiries regarding our move, equipment, etc., etc., were
constant, the delay seemed endless, the setbacks many, we were at one and the
same time excited, disappointed at the delay, and always longing to get in.
The staff and I made frequent visits to prepare what we could, and when we were
finally told the day of departure a cheer could be heard around the building.
This didn't mean, of course, that we hadn't enjoyed our stay at Fanshawe;
it was gratifying to see how well all the nursery staff, parents, staff in the
school nearby, including the caretaker, not to mention all the people "on our
own side" had co-operated to make our stay there as settled as possible. The
children, too, were happy and confident in their temporary home. They used to
enjoy the coach ride which was (according to them) always taking us off to some
seaside resort or another, but I must admit the staff heaved a sigh of relief
when we made the last coach journey.
Anyway, I think we shall always have a soft spot for Fanshawe Nursery, or
as it is called now "Elmshaw Youth Centre"; the young people had many plans for
it, and we can only wish them every success.
It seemed strange when we did finally move to our modern, centrally heated,
nursery. The routine ran more smoothly, it was easier to keep clean, and after
we found our way around, we began to feel quite at home, and to enjoy it all,
especially being surrounded by lovely new equipment and toys. Also, as we had
been rather isolated at Fanshawe, it was good to feel back in the centre of
things again.
The official opening of the nursery and clinic on the 14th November was a
pleasant and, I think, a successful occasion. We had many, many visitors prior
to that, and afterwards, men walking around with tape measures, and officiallooking
papers, examining this, that and the other. We took it all in our stride,
and cooed over all the admiring remarks made about the nursery by these and
other visitors.
We have continued the open evenings we started at Fanshawe (usually two or
three a year) and find this a good opportunity not only of getting health
education over to parents and staff alike, but also of meeting the parents
socially, in a relaxed and informal mood.
In conclusion, I would mention the progress that is being made through the
Nursery Nursing Advisory Committee in our relationship with Hornchurch College of
Further Education. It has gone from strength to strength. New developments have
been made which appear to be advantageous to both nursery and college staff, not
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