‘I wish the magic key would open the door again’: Tullynessle families share heartbreak in fight to reopen nursery

Alison Mackie drives her three-year-old son Cameron past Tullynessle Nursery most days.

What used to be a highlight of the tot’s day is now a sad reminder of what he’s lost, as Alison has to keep on driving past the padlocked building.

The dejected youngster even tells his mum he “wishes there was a magic key” to open the door to the place he once loved.

Alison is one of many parents hit by Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to mothball Tullynessle School and Nursery.

She has been pleading for bosses to consider reopening it once again, having been blindsided by the closure in May.

The local authority recently held a two-hour drop-in session focused on plans to permanently close the facility.

Tullynessle and Forbes Public Hall was divided with school information offered on one side and alternative nursery provision given on the other.

Council staff were on hand to answer any questions those attending had – and that list seemed to be never-ending.

While the conversations were ongoing, youngsters were running around the hall blissfully unaware that the community was fighting for their futures…

‘I’m sad, I miss the old nursery’

Letters were sent out to residents surrounding the school ahead of the consultation, however not everyone got one.

Alison Mackie was one of those who never received a notification in the post, despite the fact her son attended Tullynessle Nursery.

She eventually found out about the drop-in session through a group chat with other mums.

Like most who attended the event, Alison hopes the process will enable the school to reopen again.

“It’s a shame, I drive past the nursery every day and it’s heartbreaking that it’s there but it’s wasted,” she said with a sigh.

Her three-year-old son Cameron clearly misses the rural nursery too and gets upset when he sees the building.

“He’s a quieter, outdoor child and felt like he was at home at Tullynessle, it was a comfortable environment.

“I’ve had to move him but he doesn’t like it, he keeps saying ‘I’m sad, I miss the old nursery’.

She added: “We drive by all the time and he says, ‘oh, there’s the nursery, I wish the magic key would open the door again’.

“You try and be positive about it but it’s hard.”

Tullynessle Nursery closure ‘not sustainable for families’

Fellow mum Erica Manning slammed the way the mothballing process has been carried out by the council, branding it as “appalling”.

The closure has resulted in her driving an extra 20 minutes each way to get her son to his new nursery.

“I’ve had to cut my working hours down and they are just expecting us to roll over and not be bothered but it’s our children,” the frustrated mum stated.

Erica revealed that the family is considering buying an extra car to help with the change.

“My husband wants to help over the winter because otherwise it’s all on me and I’ll have to reduce my hours even further,” she explained.

Tullynessle parents argue the nursery was ‘prospering’

Alexander Gilliland’s son Oliver attended Tullynessle for two years and his daughter Elsie was due to start there in October.

However, the family have had to find alternative provision for her 30 minutes away due to the nursery being mothballed.

Driving there and back twice a day means the family will spend two hours driving her to and from her new setting.