A big-hearted Ampthill local has spent the past few months making beautiful crochet blankets for premature babies cared for at Bedford Hospital.
Beryl French, who lives at Richmond Manor Care Home, has been a devoted knitter since she was 11-years-old and was taught crochet in 2000.
After the masterclasses from her daughter-in-law Ruth and sister-in-law Annette, Beryl fell in love with crochet and started making blankets.
Now her joyful work will benefit others as all the recent blankets have gone to babies being cared for in Meadowbank, the hospital’s special care baby unit, and the maternity wards on Cygnet Wing.
Beryl, 85, said: “Once I was shown how to crochet, I absolutely loved it, even more than knitting, so that’s what I do now.
“I used to volunteer at the Oxfam charity shop in Swansea High Street many years ago, so I always buy my wool from the local branch here.
“It’s lovely to know that my blankets will help keep these tiny babies warm during their time at the unit.”
Team members at the care home, on Dunstable Street, have been wowed by Beryl’s work, particularly Homemaker Nisha Philip.
She intends to travel to India to see her mother and will be taking one of Beryl’s blankets with her.
Nisha said: “It was such a beautiful mix of colours and so soft that I know my mother will absolutely love it. Beryl’s creativity is so inspiring – when my daughter saw the blanket, she told me she wants to learn crochet too!”
