Meet Our Dedicated Team

  Barbara Scrimshaw 

  Company Director & Funeral Director 

 I was born in Bicester and have lived in this area all my life and honestly wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. 

 Before entering the funeral profession, I worked for a number of large corporations as an area manager covering the whole of the UK. These roles have   involved promoting high standards of customer service and care to customers as well as the staff that I was responsible for. This has enabled me to respect all   people’s points of view. 

 I accidently fell into the funeral profession over fifteen years ago. I was looking for a role with less travel so I could take care of my elderly mother who lived   with our family. Initially, I began by helping with holiday cover on the reception desk at another local funeral director. I was hesitant at first, as I was unsure if I   could cope, however my previous career had stood me in good stead in showing empathy, patience and most importantly being a good listener.

  It is now over a decade since I joined Edd Frost & Daughters. These past years have been so rewarding in many ways. Working within a close-knit team and  being part of a company that is now well known within the local community.

 Being able to develop strong relationships with families that I have looked after, in such difficult circumstances, has been incredibly rewarding.

  Sophie Frost 

  Company Director

 I have lived in North Oxfordshire for most of my life, mostly in Adderbury which is where I met Edd.  We married in 2002 and now have 2 teenage   daughters (Daisy and Lola).  We also have two cavapoos – Olive and Nancy.

 When the business first started in 2013 it was mainly Edd and myself in the office, but we quickly welcomed people to our wonderful team.  Now I work   from home and look after not only the social media side of the business, but also look after donations on behalf of our families and forward the monies onto   the charity of their choice.

 The rest of my time is spent supporting Edd, and making sure the girls get to school on time amongst many other things!  Weekends are spent socialising   with family and friends.

 We are very lucky to have such a great team of people working with us, who show dedication and compassion every day.

  Aaron Taylor – Dip F.A.A

  Funeral Director | Manager at Brackley Office | IT & Communications Manager

 I was born and grew up in Banbury, attending Neithrop Primary School and Banbury Secondary School. When I was 18, I decided I was ready to fend for   myself and spent a few years in Brackley before returning to Banbury.

 Before working in the funeral profession, I worked for Thames Valley Police taking both emergency and non-emergency calls from the public. It was a job I   absolutely loved and had no intentions of leaving until a very good friend, Ian Fergie, a very experienced funeral director who worked at a large family firm in   Banbury, asked me if I had ever thought of becoming a funeral director. If I am perfectly honest…I hadn’t, not even once! He explained to me that one of their   funeral directors was retiring and he thought that I would be an ideal replacement and encouraged me to go for the job. So I did.

 I was then offered the position and Ian took me under his wing, gave me an enormous amount of help and advice and imparted some of his 32 years of   experience on me. I will be forever grateful to Ian, not only for his help and advice but for steering me in the direction of the career which I love.

Sadly, in June 2015 Ian passed away suddenly and I began to feel lost. Working in a large family business without my friend and mentor meant I had become quite despondent. At around the same time I saw that Edd was advertising for a funeral director to join him, his company ethos of ‘Where Caring Comes First’ really struck a chord with me so I applied for the position and nervously waited to see if I had been successful, thankfully I was! I knew that Ian had also mentored Edd so our way of working wouldn’t be too dissimilar.

In September 2017, I passed my Diploma in Funeral Arranging and Administration (Dip FAA) achieving a distinction. In time, I would like to go on to complete the Diploma in Funeral Directing (Dip FD).

Now in my 10th year with Edd Frost & Daughters, I can still honestly say that I love what I do. I am surrounded by a wonderful team of people and we all strive to do our very best for the families which we serve. In January 2021, I took on the responsibility of opening and managing our Brackley office. We have been so incredibly well supported since opening our office in Brackley and many of the families that we have looked after have become friends, regularly popping in for a chat when passing.  

Outside of work, I live with my wife Victoria and our son’s Theodore and Xavier. I enjoy playing guitar and listening to all sorts of music, apart from most things current!

  Chris Cousins

  Funeral Director

 I was born in Banbury and brought up in Kings Sutton. Being a ‘Village Boy’, I have always loved the great outdoors and enjoyed being involved in the   village life and the local community.

 I started working full time within the funeral industry in 2017 when I was 18 years old. The profession has played a large part within my family, as my   great uncle was Claude Hemmings of Bloxham,   who was the last member of the Hemmings family to run the family funeral business from Rectory   Farm. From an early age I can recall helping my dad and great uncle, Peter Hemmings, prepare and to   close graves within the locality.

 I started working for Edd Frost & Daughters Family Funeral Directors in June 2019. I find my job very rewarding, guiding families through one of the   hardest times of their lives and doing everything I   can to make things that little bit easier for them.
 In my spare time I like going to the gym, running, playing 5 aside football and further enjoying the great outdoors, camping and my ownership of vintage   tractors. I am also a passionate F1 fan.

I live with my fiancé, Shannon locally in the community with our cockapoo Bailey.
I feel incredibly lucky through my role here to be able to serve the local community and families within and around Banbury.

  Clive Dudley

  Funeral Director

 My name is Clive Dudley, I joined Edd Frost and Daughters as a funeral director in 2022. I have worked in the funeral industry for over 30 years, gaining   professional managerial and funeral related   qualifications.

 I had previously worked in the NHS for over 10 years, a job that brought me into contact with some incredible colleagues and patients.

 I was born in Oxford before moving to Bicester. I currently live in Brackley with my wife, Nicola, who also has over 20 years’ experience working in the funeral   profession.

 Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family. I have a son and daughter in-law who work as district and mental health nurses. I have a daughter who   is a stay-at-home mum and lives with her partner in Bicester. Between them, they have given us 6 wonderful grandchildren who keep my wife and I pretty busy.

 I have various hobbies and interests including, my passion for Oxford United, photography, walking, gardening and listening to music.

Paul Cousins

Funeral Operative

I was born in Banbury and spent my childhood between King’s Sutton and Rectory Farm, Bloxham home of the Hemmings family who were the local undertakers in the village. During this time I was introduced to the funeral profession by my uncle Claude, where I served as a pallbearer from the age of 15 and where I also prepared graves with my uncles, John and Peter. It was also during this time that I discovered my love of farming. 

I like to think that Uncle Claude would be very proud of where I am now, together with my son Chris, we follow on in his footsteps working locally for Edd Frost and Daughters, where I now serve as Mortuary Technician. It’s lovely working locally still and being able to talk to the families that we care and reminisce about old times and the stories of Uncle Claude who was a real character. 

In my spare time I like to attend steam rallies, particularly our local Bloxham Rally with my Vintage Tractor.

Jules Antoniou

Funeral Operative

My path to working in a mortuary is deeply personal and shaped by my Greek Orthodox background and the decade I spent living in Cyprus. My journey into this field started with a profound personal experience, caring for my nana and uncle during their last days and being with them both at the end. This intimate involvement in the end-of-life process revealed to me a fascination and a deep respect for the transition from life to death.

This revelation coincided with the global upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that prompted a serious reconsideration of my career choices. It was during this time that I decided to follow the path into the funeral industry.

I have a huge love for animals and rescuing and rehoming them. At one point I had 15 cats and 2 dogs. My companions now, are a spirited one eyed Miniature Pinscher and a lively Cockatiel, reflecting my enduring affection for all living beings.

In my role as a Mortician, I apply these experiences and my compassionate nature to ensure that each individual’s final journey is treated with dignity and respect. Working in the mortuary, I understand the importance of honoring each life, integrating personal and cultural elements to make every farewell respectful and unique. My commitment is to provide care and dignity in the most challenging times, ensuring that every individual is remembered and honored in the best way possible.

  Jackie Hawkes

  Front of House & Admin

 I was born in Banbury and moved to Warwickshire when I was 6 years old.  I spent most of my childhood life in the beautiful village of Shotteswell. I attended   St. Johns Catholic Primary and Tysoe Primary and I studied for my secondary education at Kineton High School.

 After studying Tourism at Stratford Upon Avon College, I was lucky enough to travel to America and the Caribbean with a wonderful family, and that gave me   the urge to be a Travel Agent. I worked at Lunn Poly for a number of years and during this time I met Adam, and we’ve been very happily married for 25 years   in July! We have 2 amazing children, Sam who is 21 and Annie who is 19.

 My previous role, working as a Front of House customer advisor for Sanctuary Housing spanned almost 13 years. I worked with amazing people and got to   know and help so many lovely families during my time there. I have always strived to give the best Customer service and to show understanding and patience   to all of my customers and I feel this has put me in good stead for working at Edd Frost and daughters. I lost both my parents at a young age.  I was pregnant   with my first child when I lost my Mum to cancer which was an extremely difficult time but I feel I can relate to others and totally empathize with what they are going through.  I love working for Edd Frost & Daughters and I already find my role rewarding in so many ways. It feels great to be a part of such a wonderful and successful family run business and everyone has been so welcoming. I really do feel I am part of the family.

  Julia Cooper

  Front of House & Admin at Brackley Office

 I have lived in Brackley for the last 12 years having previously grown up and lived in surrounding villages.

 Prior to working for Edd Frost & Daughters, the majority of my career was spent in the travel industry. I managed several branches of a well known high street   travel operator (remember those!?) before working for myself as a Travel Councillor, which I continue to do in my spare time.

 During the coronavirus pandemic, the travel industry was severely impacted, so when the opportunity to work for Edd Frost & Daughters arose in December   2020 I felt that it was the perfect role where I could transfer the skills I had built up in travel and continue looking after families and being super organised,   albeit in a different environment.

 I work with Aaron at our Brackley office and I really enjoy meeting with and helping the families that we look after in what is often the most difficult of times. I   really enjoy my time with Edd Frost & Daughters and am really excited to be a part of the new chapter of the business within our Brackley office.

Outside of work I love spending time with my husband Michael, our son Matthew and our crazy Golden Retriever Farley. We are a sports mad household and love cheering on our teams – when we aren’t walking the dog!

  Marcelli Proctor

  In House Florist & Front of House 

 Born and raised in Oxfordshire, I’m very much a country girl at heart and never strayed too far from home, only moving over the border and now living in   Brackley, Northamptonshire.

 I discovered from a very early age that I had a creative streak, that in later years guided me towards a floristry career in 2002. Since then, I have had the   opportunity to help start up a small retail business in wholesale florist supplies, that lead to me to a career working with a large UK supplier for several years.

 Moving forward to 2016, I decided to take the leap to become a freelancer in the floral industry, testing my skills and ability on many levels for numerous   bespoke event florists, and again taking another chance to open my own business ‘FloralCelli Flowers’ based in Banbury later in 2020.

 As you can see my life and sole has always been with flowers and my drive is to interact with my client’s, and discovering what amazing ideas can be   developed in the art of flowers.

When Edd approached me with the idea to be their In-house florist and front of house administrator, I knew that this would tick all the boxes for me and jumped at the chance to work with this amazing team and becoming apart of their work family.

  Tracey Brown

  Funeral Director

 As the newest member of the team, I joined Edd Frost & Daughters in March 2024, previously working for a corporate Funeral Directors covering Brackley, and   Towcester.   I was so excited to join Edd and the team not least because of the high standard the team consistently delivers. I am delighted to be working with   such a fabulous team of caring, conscientious individuals where nothing is too much trouble.

 Before joining the Funeral Care industry 6 years ago I worked as a Business Development Manager for Santander for over 10 years.  After taking redundancy I   then worked for a short time as an Activities Manager for people living with Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Looking after people has always been my passion, so the   transition into Funeralcare, and being able to help families at one of the most difficult times of their life, came very naturally.

 I live in Towcester and have 3 lovely children, an older daughter Abi, and 2 teenage boys, Archie and Sonny. My weekends are spent being a Rugby Mum, and   when I do have any spare time, I enjoy eating out, dancing, the odd glass of wine and seeing live bands.

I enjoy my job immensely and feel privileged to be able help the people of Banbury and surrounding areas. I very much look forwards to continue building relationships with families who can rely on my sensitive, empathetic approach.