Five generations of family come together

Five generations have come together as the newest member of the family was introduced to one of the oldest. Seven-month-old Lacey Minshull visited her 92-year-old great great great aunt, Catherine – better known as Bette – Gray at the Oaklands care home in Scole, near Diss. Mrs Gray was also joined by her niece, Liz Brown Hunter Scott, who works as a domestic at Oaklands; great niece Donna Minshull, a senior support worker at the home, and Mrs Minshull’s daughter and Lacey’s mother, Shannon Minshull.   Mrs Minshull’s other daughter, Georgia, also works at Oaklands as a part-time kitchen assistant.

Until January last year, Mrs Gray had lived on her own in a bungalow in Dickleburgh, after her husband, Bert, died several years ago. Mrs Brown Hunter Scott said: “Aunt Bette and uncle Bert never had any children and they moved from Watford to this area several years ago to be close to us.   “After a spell in hospital and some time at a nursing home in Norwich, aunt Bette came here which is great because she sees one of us nearly every day.”

During her working life, Mrs Gray had been in the civil service in the department of health and social security.   Pat Collins, manager of the Kingsley Healthcare run home, said: “The family connections at Oaklands give our home a lovely atmosphere.”