NOSTALGIA: Farewell gifts for Mrs Squire

Mrs Squire, a mother to seven children of her own, looked after the 40 or so toddlers from the popular playgroup.

To show their gratitude for the work Mrs Squire did, the youngsters got together and with their pocket money – they were all under five years old – they bought her a pair of slippers, while her adult colleagues presented her with a dressing gown.

The playgroup originally began in a 
private house at the home of Peggy Grubb, where a dozen children would gather.

Very soon afterwards they had to move to a different location, the Abbey Buildings, before eventually settling at the Foundry Schools where they spent four of the seven years of the group’s existence.

Originally Mrs Squire would play the piano for the children before graduating to looking after the youngsters as they played games or made items with their hands.

By the time Mrs Squire left the group in Easter 1973, she was supervising a total of 150 children, four mornings a week.