1982 We move to Simpson, Milton Keynes.

6. In 1981 a disused school on East Street became available for rent for one year only from Terry McCann, before he pulled it down to build houses. We chose to take it for the year to give more room for our ever expanding 4 year olds. Sue Leader ran this very successful unit. We also managed Parkside Nursery for just over a year, for Mrs Fuller who retired after many years of running it. It was situated right on the park near Pulfords School. She then decided to sell it as a house and closed it down.

In the same year I became a single parent. We bought a bungalow in Linslade and a black Labrador Sam. We moved out of the North Street flat and moved the in-laws into it as they had just retired from work in London.

The Old Rectory in Simpson was available and ideal. A beautiful building in three acres (it used to have Five acres hence its name) with a number of outbuildings.

The nursery market in Leighton was not buoyant, however the new town of Milton Keynes 10 miles away was expanding rapidly.

We decided to approach The Development Corporation for a suitable building for an independent school which offered the same facilities for working parents that our nursery did. The working woman was at last becoming more accepted, yet there was no provision for their children once they reached school age, as I was finding to my cost with my own three boys. The children enjoyed 2 calves, 2 sheep, 3 dogs, 2 cats 24 chickens, and a selection of small pets

First School Photo 1985

Sue Leader, Karim Jetha Mary Lynch, Sue Phillipson, Diane Payne, Evelyn Wyatt, Hilary Pauley Margaret Dyke, May Sturge, Robert Coleman, Judy Taylor

Sadie Johnson, Sophie Otter, Caroline Box, Adam Russell, Simon Taylor, Rahim Jetha, Tom Sothcott, Kim Liddiard

Christopher Phillipson, Mark Osmond, Zoe Lee, Emma Wolfson, Andrew Lee, Alison Macleod, William Bowen

Davina Fountaine, Louise Hamblin, Nishit Solanki, Sue Shead, Clare Pratt, Laura Doherty, Rosie Chant, Helen Swan, Rachel Swann, Debbie? Thomas Wagstaff, Erica Smith

Lucy Ort, Shradha Shah, John Phillipson, Ben Wolfson, Chris Richards, Alexandra Thorburn, David Belam