Smiles and sadness on last day

There were plenty of smiles, but they were tinged with a little sadness as the staff at the Ducklings of Detling pre-school held a graduation party for its last ever leavers.

It is the end of an era for the family-run business which has been looking after Detling’s youngsters for 17 years. The nursery’s chairman is Gillian Barry, and her daughters Debbie Hoy, Kate Robinson and Sharon Caim have been respectively manager, secretary and supervisor. The pre-school has been based in the grounds of the disused village primary school, in The Street, but has been given notice to leave as the freeholders look to redevelop.

The final class were each given a hand-made mortarboard to mark their graduation before going on to “big school” in September, which they duly threw in the air in celebration.

Picture: Andy Payton FM4424064 From left, staff members Kate Robinson, Gillian Barry, Jasmine Ayres, Debbie Hoy, Sharon Caim and Sophie Body with their young graduates at Ducklings of Detling Nursery