Brackley Care Home opened its doors to the community

Furthermore, this day was about giving a fitting tribute to the Late Delia Frost who delivered over 1000 babies at the Old Brackley Cottage Hospital between 1961 and 1986. Her devotion to duty and caring for the elderly led to her being made an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list on her retirement. When Brackley Care Home opened in 2020 it was fitting then that one of the nursing/residential units was named the Delia Frost Suite.

Brackley Care Home resident Marian was a close friend of Delia’s and she recalled on her first meeting with Delia at St Peter’s Church being made to feel so very welcome as a new parishioner, inviting her to her home for coffee and for Bible readings, and how they had gone on to become as close as sisters. The Rev Canon Woodward was the guest of honour at our event as he had given a very moving eulogy at Delia’s funeral, describing her as “surely one of the best nurses ever known.” Nicky Andrews, who is our Hospitality Hostess is our very own Delia baby, having been born at the Brackley Cottage Hospital in 1971. Nicky’s parents, Michael and Jean Hills, recalled the event as being a very special one with Michael saying that on arrival at the hospital Delia had been busy preparing breakfast for the patients and asked if they could come back after breakfast. Needless to say the baby didn’t want to wait that long.