Eric Frost – Spotlight on a Resident | Welcome Home Autumn 2018
Our residents are incredibly generous, caring and charitable people. In particular, Eric Frost and his late wife Doreen have shown their commitment and dedication to preserving history and caring for others. Being pivotal members in the charitable National Adult School Organisation (NASO), a custom-made box to house an important historical folio has been presented in Doreen’s name to the fabulous new archive set up by Northampton General Hospital (NGH).
NASO
Formed in the UK over 250 years ago, NASO taught adults how to read and write. Over time it developed to mean much more, holding discussion groups across every county, promoting adult education, community spirit and becoming a social hub for adults and children.
Eric and Doreen met, fell in love and eventually married whilst starting their journey with NASO in 1946, which Eric describes as life-changing. Eric became President of NASO in 1976 and Doreen followed in his footsteps, becoming President in 1994. Along the way the pair touched many people’s lives, attending regular meetings up and down the country and speaking in front of hundreds of members.
The Historical Archive
Before sadly passing in 2017, Doreen worked hard to ensure that Northamptonshire NASO had regular meetings and a place for the local community to gather.
The remaining members and volunteers decided to honour Doreen’s memory by raising £190 for the Historical Archive at NGH. Doreen was very passionate about preserving history for future generations and had previously visited the archives to tell the tale of her encounter with the Duke of York in 1930 when she was a patient in Manfield Orthopaedic Hospital.
The donation allowed the archives to purchase an acid-free box to protect the 1646 folio entitled The Works of Hildanus by Wilhelm Fabricius Hildanus (often called the ‘Father of German Surgery’) which should stop the deterioration for at least 50 years.
On 25th July 2018, Spencer House Care Home, where Eric is a resident, held the presentation of the box and cheque. Eric was joined by Beryl Andrews of NASO, his daughter and son-in-law and Historical Archive volunteer Sue Longworth.
Eric is a very active member at Spencer House Care Home, often entertaining family and friends who come to visit, joining in with Poetry Club, or found tending to the gardens where he grows his own tomatoes, sunflowers and herbs. He is looking forwards to visiting the archive in the future.
Listen to this and other resident’s life stories in our Avery Archive!
