THE longest serving member of staff at Westgate Nursery in Highworth is stepping down after almost a quarter of a century nursing generations of local families.

Jackie Midwinter joined the team alongside the Mirkin family when they first moved into the building in Cricklade Road, and has been a stalwart ever since.

Loved by the youngsters for her nursery rhymes, she has seen hundreds of children through the doors and into adulthood, with many of those keeping fond memories of her.

Jackie said the nursery had saved her from a rough patch in life and she had treasured every moment there. She was offered the job after caring for the daughter of owner, Sandria Mirkin.

She said: “24 years has flown by. I was going through a bad time when they offered me this job so Sandy was my saviour.

“I was immediately interested because I have known the family for such a long time, and she was someone I knew I could trust. I wanted to work full time and she always made sure that I did, often fighting for me to do so.

“This has been my whole life for such a long time that it is quite emotional. I feel so close to the girls working here and the little ones who come that they feel like my extended family. I have always needed to be needed, and this place has given me that.

“Even better I know the door is always open for me, but I will just have to use the doorbell instead of a key from now on.

“There have been so many wonderful moments and people that it is too difficult to single any of them out. The whole experience has been overwhelming, and it is very touching to realise now how important I have been for everyone here.”

The nursery has grown from five children when they opened in 1991 to a full book of 52 today, and persevered through an arson attack earlier this year that temporarily ejected them from the building.

“Jackie started on day one and has been with us through all the ups and downs of the 24 years,” said Sandria.

“I interviewed her when we had just bought the building and we ended up just sitting on rolls of carpet, chatting.

“It has been her whole life from then until now.

"She has been an absolute stalwart and has been a mother figure to the younger staff coming through and to the new young mums.

“She has been a shoulder to cry on and a helping hand when people need it."“It helps to have the security of someone like her when someone is bringing their child here for the first time and leaving them “She is still going to come back and sing nursery rhymes to the little ones, so it is not severing her link completely. It has been such an important part of her life and she has been an equally important part of the nursery.

“At the time she came over she had been working at another nursery looking after my children when they were small, and I knew I wanted to pinch her. The first few children trickled through the door and word spread around largely thanks to her.

“We have had children from when they were babies right through to school and adulthood, and there are parents who came here when they were little who now send their children here.