The Orchard Kindergarten

Orchard Kindergarten

The Orchard Tea Rooms were closed at the start of the war in 1939 and were then used by Miss Stapleforth as a kindergarten for local children.  Eileen Stapleforth was a violin teacher and moved to the area with her father and sister, Mrs. Pritchard and her two sons.

The first day was in September 1940 and had 8 – 10 children in one room.  Dorcas Ward remembers her first day when she was taken by car for the first and last time!  From then onwards she had to take the bus which cost 2d or cycle the 2 miles from her home near the Bradfield War Memorial.  She remembers that one boy cried but she didn’t!  School finished at 12 noon.  There was a parquet floor with an oil stove, which smelt of oil.  The blackboard rubber was also used for mopping up spilt milk, which meant that it had a horrible smell.  She also remembers that the toilet was not good because of the little boys!

Children came from Woolhampton, Bradfield, Theale and Beenham to the school as well as from Bucklebury.

For full article see attached.

Account by Dorcas Ward & Ann Tetlow