Numbers drop at Watlington Pre-School in November 2005

In our weekly Memory Lane Schooldays column we look back at a village pre-school 18 years ago...

Staff at Watlington Pre-School were left scratching their heads in November 2005 after a dramatic drop in the number of children attending.

What had happened after the baby boom at the village around the time of the Millennium?

Ria Bunting, the pre-school chairperson, said: “Just a year ago we had more than 40 children on the books and a waiting list; now we have only about 20 on the register.”

With a staff of seven, the pre-school was based at the village hall and had been recognised as a Centre of Good Practice.

In this picture the staff looking after the children at a Monday session are (from left) Jo Hartley, Hayley Bowden, Linda Fysh, Marcia Napp and Kenita Smith.