Daisy is made Queen for the day at Thorp House

Daisy Stretton was born in the same year as Queen Elizabeth and, after waiting 94 years, she finally received the full Royal treatment herself.
 
One day ahead of the Queen’s 95th birthday, Daisy’s care home, Thorp House, in Griston, made her honorary Queen for the day.
 
Daisy, who celebrates her 95th birthday on October 11, was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and enjoyed being pampered with hand massages.
 
Daisy’s niece Sylvia Wright was thrilled to be part of the celebration and spent time with Daisy and the home’s activities coordinator Marcia Hughes reminiscing over old family photographs which included one of her as a baby.
 
Daisy, who was born less than 10 miles from Thorp House in Wretham, recalled how she had been named after the Michaelmas Daisy.
 
“I was born close to Michaelmas, September 29, which is an important time in the farming calendar when the harvest has to be in,” she said.
 
Her father Percy Cracknell was a farm hand and her mother Grace Ida Cracknell was a home maker who looked after Daisy and her five siblings, three sisters and two brothers.

She recalled she had “a very loving and close-knit family” and they all helped together on the farm.

“We quickly learned that if our father called for one of us it was to borrow our hands and help with a chore,” she said.

She went to school in Wretham and can recall her teacher Miss Shickle; Daisy worked in Wretham Post Office Stores and the Market garden for many years and learnt many skills including how to prune trees.

She married Ernest Arthur Stretton who was in the RAF; when Ernest left the RAF he took a canteen manager’s job in the local NAFFI. He was very happy there and Daisy worked with him there as well.

Daisy is a devout Christian and was very involved with the church; she used to “pump” the organ, sing and do flower arranging among many other things until ill health prevented her from continuing.

She loves animals having been brought up with many cats and especially farm dogs over the years.

She loved to garden and kept a beautiful garden which was greatly admired.

Daisy’s niece Sylvia visits regularly and also sings to Thorp House every month in the local choir.

Find out more about Thorp House nursing home