Staff at Ferndale Nursery in Epsom were treated to a 15th anniversary tea party this week as parents thanked them for their hard work.

Attended by staff and children, past and present, one Ferndale mum said: “It was such a lovely event and fantastic to see some of the children who went to Ferndale at the start.

“They are, of course, all teenagers now!”

Event organiser and former nursery parent, Jane Douglas-Jones, said: “It felt like an opportunity to give something back to the nursery that has given both Samuel and Anna so many happy memories and the best start to their school life you could wish to get.”

Opened by colleagues Gill Stott, Janet Banfield, Karen Perry and Glennys Grayson in 1996, Ferndale Nursery began with just eight children.

15 years on, more than 30 children now attend their morning and afternoon sessions.

Gill Stott said: “Our ethos is and has always been that children learn the best while they are relaxed and having fun.

“We have a strong team of staff who are all great friends and have been together for years.

“It is sad when we have to say goodbye to families but they always know that we will be here if they ever want to pop back for a cup of tea!”