A CHILDREN’S nursery owner has looked back over years of memories as her business passed a landmark anniversary.

Rainbow Children’s Nursey in Barley Bank Street, Darwen, celebrated 20 years of serving the town.

Owner and business manager Shirley Hardman, 57, set up the enterprise in 1997 after owning a care home.

She now employs seven nursery practitioners and one domestic. Two, Lauren Walsh and Shirley Dearden, have worked at the nursery for 12 years.

Mrs Hardman has a very easy ‘commute’, as she lives ‘over the shop’.

Looking back, she said: “This building came up for sale, it was an old laundrette and we decided to open a children’s nursery.

“Twenty years ago there was a high demand and it was great, we were always busy.”

Since then Mrs Hardman has seen plenty of changes, not least in the much higher number of children’s nurseries available to parents.

Government moves to offer free childcare have also had a big and helpful impact.

Currently any child of three or four years of age is entitled to 15 free hours a week, while from September those with working parents will be able to receive an additional 15.

Mrs Hardman has also seen many changes in society.

She said: “Society has changed so much. Children grow up a lot quicker and they are more confident in a lot of ways.”

A maximum of 32 children may attend the nursery at any one time and it is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays.

There is no outdoor play area but staff use the large playroom to give children the opportunity for physical play.

Its last Ofsted report in April 2014 gave a rating of good in all areas and outstanding in the contribution of the early years provision to the well being of children.

Mrs Hardman added: “I have such a good team and the girls work really hard.

“We’re just a friendly, homely nursery and we have a very good reputation.”