‘Fun for Everyone’
The Origins
On the 26th September 1972, Mrs Buckile from the Pre-School Playgroups Association, showed a film and gave a talk to the Bishopsteignton Modern Wives about the importance of playgroups, and how communities could set up and run them. When she concluded her presentation Mrs Buckile was met with a sea of hands. The audience of Modern Wives, most with youg children, had many questions about how a playgroup might be set up in the village.
Bishopsteignton Modern Wives, minutes from 26th September 1972
Joan Leonard was in the audience sitting next to her close friend Elizabeth, and she remembers that they…
‘…nudged each other, and said we could do that, couldn’t we.’
.
…and by January 1973, they had had their first meeting about setting up a playgroup in Bishopsteignton.
Starting Up
In the 1970s there were far fewer laws and regulations around setting up and running childcare settings. Apart from registering with Social Services, allowing them to inspect the Playgroup now and then, and the occasional visit from a Health Visitor, Joan does not remember any regulations around adult and child ratios, or training requirements, not even first aid training. Joan recalls setting up the Playgroup as being pretty straightforward…
‘We did not have all the red tape…we were just a group of people making a play area for the children…It was much more free and easy than anything is these days.’
So, within a couple of months from that first meeting in January 1973, a playgroup had been started in the Village Hall, open 4 days a week Tuesday to Friday, from 9:30 to 12:00. Managed by Elizabeth as the main supervisor, with Joan as her assistant. At the start it had 10 children aged 2 ½ to 4-year-olds. With the numbers of children fluctuating during Joan’s time at the Playgroup, to between about 10 and 20.
Joan remembers that there was pressure from many of the mothers to take younger children, but…
‘…they decided that 2½ years was young enough’
Parents were only required to pay a nominal fee for their children to attend, to make it as inclusive as possible. This meant that the Playgroup had very little money, so they could only afford to pay the employees like Joan, a very low wage.
Running the Playgroup in the Early Days
Joan recalled that in the early days of the Playgroup, as well as her and Elizabeth, they used to have a rota of mothers that would take turns to help. So, Joan worked every session, with another mum helping regularly on a rota, with the other mums taking in turns to fill in when needed. Joan has fond memories of working with the other mothers, as they…
‘…made a good team.’
Then after a few years, Elizabeth moved away from the village, and so Joan took over the management of the Playgroup.
Unlike many of the other mum’s, Joan’s daughter Julia, was too old to go to the Playgroup, but Julia did help now and then. Joan particularly enjoyed the sessions she got to work alongside her daughter.
Joan Leanord and the children posing for the Bishopsteignton Playgroup Class Photograph
The only other mums that were ever present at the sessions were those that stayed to help settle their children. With most of these mums just sitting on the side watching their child.
Though Joan recalls that some would …
‘…sometimes shout at their own child’
In these early years, supporting those that worked in the Playgroup, was also a committee that would meet up every so often to discuss how things were going, and any issues that needed addressing.
The Village Hall
Children at Bishopsteignton Playgroup based in the Village Hall.
The Playgroup was based at the Village Hall for the entirety of Joan’s 13 and half years at the Playgroup. Joan recalled that though the hall was in a great location, at the heart of the village, and that it had a nice outdoor space for the children, it was by no means an ideal venue for a playgroup. The hall was not designed with young children in mind, and because they did not have exclusive use, they had to set up the Playgroup from scratch every morning. This involved getting all the equipment out of a shed in the back garden and moving it where it needed to be every morning, and putting it back at the end of each session.
Much of the play equipment, such as the climbing frame and slide, were very heavy and awkward to carry. It also meant they needed to leave the place spotless, because otherwise other people using the hall would complain, something that happened a few of times.
Hilary Davies who began to help at the Playgroup in 1987, when her eldest son Tom started at the Playgroup, also remembers the difficulties they had with heating the Village Hall…
‘…they had heaters in the ceiling that you had to switch on, and they would go red…and by the time the heat got down to where the children were playing it had dissipated’
Children in the reading corner at Bishopsteignton Playgroup
Despite these restrictions and difficulties, Joan and the others working at the Playgroup managed to provide a wide range of activities for the children. As well as the outdoor climbing frame, slide, and sand and water play, Joan recalls there being lots of role-playing toys such as a playhouse, and toy cooker, dressing up, and lots of arts and crafts activities, and a daily story time.
On occasion, they even brought in entertainment for the children, such as in December 1982 when they booked a group called Tomfoolery to perform, as reported in an article in the Teignmouth Post and Gazette.
Joan Leonard’s Memories of the Children
Joan has very fond memories of having a lovely time playing with, reading to, and supporting the children with various creative activities. Though she recalls that many of the sessions could be…
‘…very hectic with various children having tantrums’
and there was some quite challenging behaviour, with one child who…
‘…did not like the story time and so he slapped my face’
and another who…
‘…used to disrupt everything.’
Joan though found effective ways of settling even the most difficult children…
‘I used to sit him on my knee and stroke behind his ear, and that calmed him down.’
Fortunately, as far as Joan can remember, they managed to avoid any major calamities. Only having to deal with the usual bumps and bruises. Also, often when children had additional needs such as disabilities, they would receive help from Social Services. For instance, Joan recalls a boy who was deaf and had to wear hearing aids and…
‘…when he played rough and tumble in the Playgroup his hearing aids would come out, and so Social Services provided guidance on how to fit them in correctly’.
Fund-raising
Despite the invaluable service provided by the Playgroup (now Preschool), it has struggled with the numbers of children and financially, at various times over the years.
A newspaper article in the Teignmouth Post and Gazette in 1982 outlined how the Playgroup barely stayed afloat in the early years. With the secretary Mrs Irene Hill stating that …
‘There were times over the next few years when the numbers dropped so low that steps were taken to cut down costs to avoid closing down the playgroup altogether.’
It was in fact Joan Leonard, Mrs Irene Hill gave the credit to, for playing…
‘…a key role in keeping the playgroup alive through rough and smooth…’
…in the first ten years.
Joan recalls some of the many fund-raising activities they organised to support the Playgroup through the more difficult times. A chief one being the annual sponsored ‘wheel’ around.
For many years this event was covered by the Teignmouth Post and Gazette…
‘Mrs Joan Leonard organised the Playgroups annual sponsored ‘wheel’ around fund raiser for the playgroup. Pre-schoolers from the playgroup were sponsored to ride up to ten laps on their bikes and trikes around Bishopsteignton Primary School playground.’
Teignmouth Post and Gazette 1984
Joan Leonard at a Playgroup ‘Wheel around fund raiser’
The ‘wheel’ around started in about 1976, and was still going well into the 1990s. A former Playgroup supervisor, Sue Gardiner, recalled that the children…
‘…used to absolutely love it. They could either ride a bike or a scooter, or push a pram around, and we used to have a policeman start it all off for us.’
In fact, Hilary Davies, another former Playgroup Supervisor, who worked at the Playgroup until 1995, said that in the 1990s, the Wheel and Ride had grown to incorporate some of the older children attending the school, who also wanted to join in.
According to the Teignmouth Post and Gazette during the 1980s about 15-25 3–5-year-olds participated in this event each year, often raising over £80 (the equivalent of over £260 in 2024).
Joan remembers this annual fundraising event fondly, as something that…
‘It used to be hilarious…’
Over the years, Jo Head, Hilary Davies, and Sue Gardiner remember being involved in lots of fundraising for the Playgroup, as well as the enduring annual sponsored Wheel and Ride, there were numerous coffee mornings, and tabletop sales. At some of these events Hilary had done facepainting for the children, and she still has the face paints she used.
Bishopsteignton Playgroup Raises over £80
Bishopsteignton Vintage Rally 1989
‘…sheepdog displays, karate demonstrations, tractor games and live music thrilled the rally-goers.’
Newspaper Cutting, ‘Crowds flock to Vintage Car Rally’, 1989
The rally was then followed by a barn dance in the evening. To raise money for the Playgroup Hilary and Jo provided ploughmen lunches and a sweet tuck shop for the children.
Hilary recalls that…
‘…any time there was an event in the village we (the Playgroup) would always have a stall.’
Bishopsteignton Vintage Rally 1992
Vintage Rally Brass Badge 2002
Hilary, Jo and Sue also remember that there used to be an Easter Fair at the Community Centre with lots of stalls and activities, to raise money for the Playgroup. With the main event of the Fair being the Easter Bonnet Parade, in which children proudly wore homemade Easter bonnets as they walked together from the village shop to the Community Centre. Sue recollects how…
‘….it was really sweet, as many of the children had little rabbit ears and flowers…so it was quite a cute thing that went on for several years.’
Another fund-raising activity Sue remembers was the Preschool being paid to collect newspapers to be recycled. Considering the wide range of fund-raising activities, it is unsurprising then, that Hilary and Jo think that during their time at the Playgroup, people involved with it, must have raised at least £15,000-£20,000 for the Playgroup.
Since joining Bishopsteignton School in 2020, fund raising for the Preschool has been done via the School and the Friends of Bishopsteignton School (FOBS), who raise money for both the School and the Preschool. FOBS raises money via activities such as cake sales, school fayres and discos, and sales of second-hand school uniforms and books.
Find more about Friends of Bishopsteignton School (FOBS) here: https://www.bishopsteignton.devon.sch.uk/fobs
Bishopsteignton Carnival
Another community event that the Playgroup regularly participated in was the Bishopsteignton Carnival. Joan’s residing memories of the Playgroup’s involvement in the carnival, was the shear amount of work required to make the float and costumes, and how it was a…
‘real team effort…’
…with the parents and Playgroup workers pulling together to get everything ready in time.
The Playgroup’s The Moon Doth Shine as Bright as Day rhyme 1982 float
Hilary Davies, recalls the truck that was often used for the Playgroup’s float belonging to a builder, Mr Neilson, whose daughter Janice Neilson, was one of the other Playgroup Supervisors. Joan’s daughter also helped for many years, making it a particularly special event for Joan.
And somehow through the chaos, the Playgroup not only managed to get everything ready in time each year, but with impressive results. The Playgroup won 1st prize in 1979, with their Women who lived in a show themed float, 1st prize in 1983, with their Toy Box float, and 2nd prize in 1984, with their Beside the Seaside float. Other themes the Playgroup did over the years were: Smarties (1980), Grand Old Duke of York (1981), and Boys and Girls Come Out to Play, The Moon Doth Shine as Bright as Day rhyme (1982), Circus (1987), and Pirates (1988).
The Playgroup’s 1983 Toy Box float
Award for Bishopsteignton Playgroup
Sue Gardiner fondly remembers her sons taking part in the Carnival, and that though it was a lot of work, that it was worth it, as…
‘…the children loved it.’
Hilary Davies thinks that 1988, was one of the last years of the Bishopsteignton Carnival. Sue thinks the Carnival discontinued due to an increase in health and safety regulations related to the risk of the children falling from standing on a moving float with no sides. She recalls that…
‘…the adults used to walk along the side of the float, so if a child looked at risk of falling off the adults could stop them.’
We partly know so much about the Playgroup’s participation in the Carnival, because Joan kept many photos of the Playgroup’s floats, and the shields they won. Kindly donating her collection to the Bishopsteignton Heritage Hub in 2023.
Joan Leonard’s Departure
In 1986, after working at the Playgroup for 13 and half years, and running it for most of those years, Joan was forced to stop because she had a hysterectomy and therefore was no longer able to lift the heavy equipment and fulfil the physical demands of the job. She really would have liked to continue for longer. Joan recalls how bittersweet she felt when she left the Playgroup, feeling both sad about leaving, but also grateful for the wonderful experiences and memories working for the Playgroup had given her…
‘It was so easy and enjoyable, I loved it…it broke my heart when I had to give up…They were happy times…’
A spur of the moment decision by Joan and her friend Elizabeth, inspired by the talk from the Pre-School Playgroups Association…
‘I didn’t think I was doing any do good doing, we just did it, Elizabeth and I…We just got swept along…’
…led to over a decade of hard work and dedication, not just during the Playgroup sessions in the Village Hall, but also all the fund raising, carnival creations and preparatory work at home.
‘How many times during the 13 and half years did my husband say, “for goodness sake will you pack it up, it is driving you mad, and its driving me mad, with all this Playgroup stuff in the house.” ’
However, for Joan, all the work and effort were worth it, because of how…