ACTRESS Lisa Maxwell joined residents families, staff and friends to celebrate the 75th anniversary of a not-for-profit nursing home.
The star, who lives nearby, was at Resthaven in Pitchcombe to open the celebration on Sunday afternoon.
Better known as DI Samantha Nixon in TV's The Bill and latterly as a member of ITV's Loose Women chat show panel, she enjoyed tea on the terrace with visitors who heard pop and classical music from Gloucestershire Symphony Wind Orchestra.
Resthaven was founded by Maudie Little, the acting superintendent of the former Standish Hospital for wounded soldiers.
"She decided to open a home for the healing and rehabilitation of people recovering from illness," a Resthaven spokeswoman said.
"Maudie believed prayer and healthy, natural ways of living greatly assisted healing. So in 1937 work began on the Chapel in Pitchcombe on land from her brother Robert, with 13 bedrooms, generous communal areas and extensive grounds opened the following year."
Additional bedrooms added in the early 1950s have since been enlarged.
Resthaven now has 35 single bedrooms and is committed to its future as a nursing home for the elderly.
