Tributes paid to Forres nursery founder, Jean Bridgeford, of Nursery Playmates Playgroup

A much-loved nursery founder - fondly remembered by hundreds of seventies, eighties and early nineties toddlers - has died.

As well as being a valued member of the community, Jean Bridgeford was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, who lived in Forres until her passing at Cathay Care Home, aged 87.

Jean had two children, Chris and Alyson.

Chris said: “Mum was always happy and willing to help others. She took part in many community groups and events throughout her life.”

Jean was born in Forres in 1937 to parents Charles and Maggie Macdonald.

One of five siblings - Sandy, June, Ishbel, Jake and Derek - only Derek (83) survives her.

The Macdonalds lived in Singer’s Close off High Street until after the Second World War.

Jean attended the Salvation Army Hall on North Road with many other Forres children to play games and sing hymns.

She attended Forres Primary School then Forres Academy until she left for work aged 16.

Jean worked in Harper’s, an all-in-one shop selling confectionery, tobacco etc on Forres High Street, before she trained as a “clippie” (conductor) for Alexander’s Buses.

She met her husband Ian at a dance in Dunphail Community Hall, despite having arranged to go with his brother Eddie.

Chris said: “Our family was always very close. We knew Eddie and his twin sister Margaret well and enjoyed their company until their recent deaths.”

Ian was a driver for Simpson’s Buses. The couple married on April 4, 1958 at Castlehill Church.

Jean stopped working when Chris was born in 1959.

The family lived in Nicolson Place on Shemmel’s Brae. They moved to the then new estate of Fleurs Drive where Alyson was born, finally moving to Strathcona Road where they settled.

Jean lived out her years at the foot of the James Thomson Monument until her move to Cathay Care Home in 2021.

Like most women in the 1960’s, Jean was, first and foremost, a housewife and mother.

She was an active member of the Church Guild and Townswomen’s Guild, and enjoyed floral arranging.

She was also a member of the popular local Varisienne entertainment group.

Jean maintained a lifelong relationship with the Church of Scotland and was a member of St Leonard’s Church Choir.

However, to many younger generations who spent their childhood in Forres, Jean was best known as their first teacher.

She loved working with children and is well remembered as the owner and leader of the first playgroup in Forres; Nursery Playmates Playgroup, upstairs at the town hall.

Jean and her employees Sally Enticknap, Helen Simpson, Irene Milne and June Burns made hundreds of early lives fun at “playschool”.

The team would take the entire playgroup - up to 50 children across two classes - to an annual picnic at Milton of Brodie House every summer, where Jean’s surefootedness on the bus, learned as a clippie, helped make the excited young passengers feel safe - and entertained.

Chris said: “There were never any incidents in all the years of Nursery Playmates.

“The nearest damage a child came to was one unfortune wee lad who unbeknownst to mum, was wearing braces.

“He needed the toilet but when mum tried to help pull his trousers down so he could go, he kept bending his knees.

“She admitted she did get a bit exasperated with him until she realised his braces were forcing his knees to bend!”

Jean invested every penny of the profits from Nursery Playmates on staff wages and new toys for the attendees each year from the Galt’s Toy Company.

“After 20 plus years, mum retired in the early 1990s,” added Chris, “before rules and regulations came in which made it more difficult for attending children to have fun and their parents to be able to afford childcare.”

However, for many years afterwards Jean - latterly with her grandson Christopher - would not get far along High Street without a child or teenager shouting “Teacher, Teacher!” after her.

Indeed one of her carers at Cathay Care was once an ex-pupil of hers, as was the current writer.

In all of our memories, Jean was a lovely woman and the perfect first teacher to have. She always put the children first, quite literally in my case going the extra mile. One memorable day at the end of nursery, I was left, the last child in the building. My neighbour had forgotten to pick me up! I was distraught but Jean calmed and looked after me, then walked me all the way home to Forbeshill where my mum took over. No mobiles in those days! Crisis solved, Jean at the end of a long day walked all the way to her home at the other end of town.

Following her retirement, Jean underwent three treatments for cancers, had many surgeries for arthritic joints and continual treatment for relapsing remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

Her family wish to thank the staff at Cathay Care Home, with special thanks to Arun Chowdegowda for his care and compassion.

All who knew her are respectfully invited to her funeral service at St Leonard’s Church on Monday, September 16 at noon.