When the first chattering youngsters trickled into Dalton’s Chapel Street Infants School in October 1990, it marked the end of nine years’ campaigning by parents, teachers and assorted other well-wishers for the town’s first nursery school.
It still needed a shortage cupboard and the outside play area awaited levelling and resurfacing but, said mayor Joan Slade: “Opening this class is the happiest duty I’ve performed so far this year.”
Infants school headteacher Avis Edmondson added: “We have waited so long for this.”
In 1981, Dalton residents had begun to move for a nursery because, as one parent put it: “We thought we were being left out in the cold.”
Askam nursery was the nearest and some youngsters even went to Barrow for places, but the feeling was strong – and persistent – that Dalton should have a nursery of its own.
Almost a decade and thousands of pounds later, 52 children alternated in morning and afternoon sessions.
The project had received £13,000 from the county council.
The ceremony in October 1990 was the official opening. Fifty two youngsters had 12 months of pre-school nursery activities to look forward to.
An open day was planned when parents and visitors would be able to have a look around.
In 1994, mums were celebrating news that Dalton could be set to get a second nursery. They had been pushing for more pre-school places in the town.
Governors of Dalton’s Church of England Primary School had announced plans to apply to Secretary of State for Education Gillian Shepherd for permission to open a nursery at St Mary’s Church of England School in Coronation Drive.
Chairman of the governors and vicar of Dalton, the Rev Stephen Skinner, said if plans got the go-ahead the new nursery could open towards the end of 1995.
Mr Skinner said: “We are applying to the government to reduce the entry age to our school by one year to start a nursery class with an intake of around 31 or 32 children.”
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