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| Mum |
My third charity book will be called The Record, and 2017 was a very busy and productive year, which saw me go past the half-way stage in the new book's creation, and opens up the possibility of having the book published towards the end of 2018, although if it has to go back into 2019 I will not be too worried. The important thing is to get it as good as possible, and not to rush it.
The Record will feature patients, and their families affected by bowel cancer. I met Gina Shergold who lost her husband Steve to bowel cancer aged just 33, Steve Clark who is approaching the five year mark with stage 4 bowel cancer, Lauren Backler who lost her mum to bowel cancer, and who is tirelessly campaigning to get the screening age reduced to 50 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. I also met 'Bowel Babe' Deborah James, a stage 4 cancer patient who is like a tornado in her life with advanced bowel cancer, raising awareness, and huge amounts of money. Then there was another Deborah James, who I had got to know over a couple of years on social media, and we finally met up in May. Sadly she passed away in July aged just 37 years old, and she left a lasting impression on me and many others. I also had the very sad news just after Christmas that Norma de Bidaph, who featured in Lives & Times, had passed away after a long battle with bowel cancer.
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| Being Taught Selfies by Deborah James |
Sport has played a big part in the book too, meeting with ex-professional footballers Kevin Sheedy and Eddie Gray. Kevin is a bowel cancer survivor. I've so far met 5 Olympic gold medallists: Anne Dickins, Jeanette Chippington, Carl Hester, Christine Ohuruogu and Zac Purchase.
I've already met with a very eclectic list of musicians: Frank Turner, John Coghlan, Steve Hackett, Steve Barnard, James Stevenson, Amy Macdonald, New Model Army, Skinny Lister, Hazel O'Connor, The Levellers, and Billy Ocean. Plenty more planned so watch this space.
I kept up the tradition of cricket related people I began in the last book, Lives & Times. I met with journalist George Dobell in Birmingham, and commentators Daniel Norcross and Natalie Germanos. I am still hoping to meet Ebony Rainford-Brent and Mike Selvey.
The world of television, media and entertainment has been very fruitful with meetings with Victoria Derbyshire, Nicola Bryant, Bill Turnbull, Sean Fletcher, David Baddiel, Janet Ellis, and Colin Murray. I spent a brilliant day in South Yorkshire where I met writer and broadcaster Andrew White, followed by the brilliant poet Ian McMillan. There was also a trip to Glasgow to meet Laura Boyd from STV - Laura who has been living with leukaemia since 2009. 2017 ended with a wonderful meeting with Basil Brush in pantomime at Windsor.
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| Boom Boom! |
So now as 2018 continues there is little let up. I have a big list of people I am hoping to meet up with including, Kim Wilde, Michelle Collins, Susan George, Dan Walker, Daf Wyn-Farr Jones, Frazer Hines, Steve Norman, Jona Lewie, Jay Aston, Jules Peters, Adam Green, Kirsty Duffy, Terry Christian, Ed Bazelgette, Stacey Heale, Sian Lloyd, Matt Allwright, Richard & Sarah Haugh, Mark Flannigan, Mari Isdale, Jacquie Beltrao, Omid Djalili, Noel Darvell, Gareth Jones, Freya North, Gail Porter, Elizabeth Alker, David Grant, Nick Robinson, Rick Witter, Biff Byford and Annabel Giles. I am also still on the lookout for more people.
A big thank you to everyone who has been involved so far, and for those coming up during 2018. The recent news of Beating Bowel Cancer merging with Bowel Cancer UK, creating the UK's leading bowel cancer charity gives fresh impetus to everyone, and the hope that by 2050 no-one will die of bowel cancer. I will be meeting the charity's Chief Executive, Deborah Alsina, for the book.
I've recently had a logo designed for my bowelcancerfundraising website, giving an identity to my fundraising efforts as things move forward. Have a look at the site as everything that is sold on the site is raising funds for the charity.
