20-year celebrations go off with a bang for Holmesville Playhouse Preschool

Holmesville Playhouse Preschool celebrated a significant milestone over the weekend, local news source Newcastle Weekly has reported. 

The service, located in West Wallsend, on the Central Coast of New South Wales, has been under the leadership of owners Vicki and Paul Courtney for almost 20 years, culminating in a celebration which featured a magician, musician, a cake stall, a plant stall, face-painting, sausage sandwiches, coffee and “20 years worth of nostalgia”.

Mr and Mrs Courtney considered the party an ‘open home’ in a space they have called ‘home’ since taking over ownership of the service in 2001.

“Since then all of my children have worked here at some stage, my grandkids have been here and my 88-year-old mother still helps out wherever she can,” Mrs Courtney said. 

“I think it’s the family-feel that our parents love about the place,” she added, saying that the building was purpose built as a preschool in the 1970s. 

Speaking of their time owning the service, she said that while it has been a ‘whirlwind’, she wouldn’t have it any other way, despite the ups and downs which come with owning an education and care business. 

The small 28 place service educates and cares for children aged between two and five years of age with six qualified educators present from 6:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday.

For more information, please see the service website, here. The original coverage of this story may be found here.