CHILDREN and staff at Holyrood Nursery tucked into cake in celebration of its 21st birthday on Saturday.

Original staff and the Prestwich nursery’s first ever children attended the event and enjoyed a bouncy castle, face painting, hot dogs, a DJ and dance classes taught by new teacher, Jade Seward.

When the nursery, in Bury Old Road, first opened in 1994, it started out with seven children and five staff, but now cares for 92 children throughout the day under the supervision of 24 staff members.

Nursery manager Diane McCasserty said: “It was a great day. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and we must have seen a couple of hundred visitors show up.

“No one let the rainy weather dampen their mood and the children didn’t stop jumping on the bouncy castle all day.

“We had the first children we cared for 21 years ago attend and our most recent children celebrate with us.”

The newest edition to the staff team is 20-year-old Jade, a qualified dance teacher, who has danced professionally and is now using movement and music to help the children aged five and under with their posture, co-ordination and motor skills.

Children got a taste of Jade’s lessons at the party when introduced letter shapes and counting into the dance routines.

Jade, from Worsley, said: “I’ve always loved dancing and to teach pre-school children is just perfect.

“They have such enthusiasm and you can see how much they progress every time.

“There’s so much children at this age can learn through dancing. There is the co-ordination and the love of movement, but there’s also an element of discipline, self-control and spatial awareness.”