The Alarm - The Band & The Fans Supporting My Bowel Cancer Fundraising

When I started putting together the Lives & Times bowel cancer fundraising book, one of my big ambitions was to meet and photograph all four original members of The Alarm. However, little did I realise that  this would be just the beginning, and what followed would have a huge impact on me.

One of the first people I contacted when I started the book was Eddie Macdonald, and I managed to photograph Eddie and Nigel Twist together in London. Eddie has been a tremendous supporter, and he got Nigel on board, when Nige was in the UK on a rare trip over from the US, where he now lives. Jules Peters was instrumental in sorting out a photograph with Mike Peters. This took place at Abbey Road studios when I was truly honoured to be part of The Scriptures - the world's longest song. Finally just when I was beginning to think it wasn't going to happen, I met and photographed Dave Sharp in Winchester. I got to see him soundcheck before his gig, and that was observing a real master craftsman, and he was really nice when we sat down for a chat. As well as the original band, along the way the current line-up also got snapped at Abbey Road. In fact Steve 'Smiley' Barnard popped up twice in the book, as he also features in the chapter on From The Jam.

New York, May 2018

The good news is that I have already met and photographed 'Smiley' and James from the current line-for the next book, The Record, which is well under way. This will also hopefully feature Jules Peters, now also a regular in the current group. She has recently been treated for breast cancer, and her story is a huge inspiration for many. I recently also met Gareth Jones (Gaz Top) for the new book before the band's recent London gig, so it will have plenty of Alarm in it too. Who knows what else could happen before the book is published. In the meantime you can still buy Lives & Times from my ETSY online store. 

Alarm fans with Lives & Times

I've followed The Alarm since 1983 when I heard The Stand on John  Peel - never has a record made such an impact on me. Until I started my fundraising I had followed the band with a few close friends, and had kept myself pretty much to myself. In fact during my first 33 years I barely met more than a handful of fellow fans. My mum's illness, and the subsequent fundraising has changed all that. The friendship, and amazing support for my books and t-shirts, from fans has been utterly amazing. I have lost count of the amount of books they have bought so far, and some of these have lost people to bowel cancer too. When I went to a bowel cancer patient event in London in 2016, I was joined by fellow fan Tina Atkins to help me sell the book there. We'd never met, but she very kindly agreed to come and help. That has been the start of a great friendship, and the friendships have kept on coming thick and fast ever since. I can't believe why it took me so long to come out of my shell. At The Gathering in 2017 I seemed to spend as much time selling books as anything else - it was quite astonishing. I can now go the gigs and know plenty of people, which makes each gig so much better and fulfilling. I recently went to see the band in New York, which was an amazing experience making many new friendships there. Every single person who has supported me, has helped take the fundraising past £4000 so far. I thank you all 💓

The Alarm - New album Equals out on June 29th

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK taking 16,000 lives each year. If detected early it can be successfully treated in over 90% of cases. The key thing is to increase awareness, and improve early detection rates. At the moment on 15% of patients are diagnosed at early stage 1. All the funds that I raise are donated to Beating Bowel Cancer / Bowel Cancer UK. These two charities joined together at the beginning of the year to become the UK's leading bowel cancer charity. My mum passed away from bowel cancer in 2016, and as well as fundraising I am helping to raise awareness about this awful disease, and hopefully by the year 2050 no-one will die of bowel of bowel cancer.

April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month - Day 1 Support For Lives & Times From The Original Members of The Alarm

April is bowel cancer awareness Month. Day 1, and I talk about the support I've had from the original members of The Alarm.

Top of my wish when I started putting the Lives & Times fundraising book together in 2014 was to try and photograph the four members in the original line-up of The Alarm, Mike Peters, Eddie MacDonald, Nigel Twist and Dave Sharp. This was never going to be an easy challenge especially with Twist living in the United States. Of course, I knew it would be virtually impossible to get the band back together in the same room, as they hadn't appeared together on stage since the Bands Reunited concert back in 2003. So I set about seeing if I could meet and photograph them individually. Over the course of 12 months I completed this task, and it is one of my proudest achievements in the book. I will explain why these meetings account for three chapters and not four.

The first member I approached was Eddie, and I was delighted when he immediately came back with a yes. It took some time for us to arrange a meeting, but fate was on my side as he was seeing Twist in London while Nigel was over in the UK for a rare visit from the States. I met them close to Oxford Street, and it was a fascinating experience. It was also the 11th anniversary of the Bands Reunited performance at The Scala. Eddie has been a terrific supporter of the project, and last year he sent me a photo of himself with his copy of the book.

Going to watch Mike in concert each January at The Gathering, and on his UK tours gave me plenty of potential for photographing him. His wife Jules said it would be no problem doing a photograph with him, so it was a case of trying to sort out where and when. I ended up doing the photo at Abbey Road, where I took part in The Scriptures recording sessions. It was an amazing day and made for a terrific chapter in the book. With the help of Andy Labrow, The Alarm's tour manager I managed to photograph Mike, with his copy of the book when The Alarm supported The Stranglers in Reading in 2016.

As I neared completing the book I still hadn't managed to make contact with Dave. I was going to see him play at Winchester, so I made one final attempt to contact him the week before the gig, and fortune was smiling on me as Dave messaged me saying he would be happy to meet me. This was another great experience as I got to see the sound-check before meeting and photographing him.

Like many fans of The Alarm I have followed the band for over 30 years, and I have some wonderful memories. This experience probably tops the lot, well maybe except for the very first time I saw the band at The Marquee in 1983.

On August 29th, 2016 my Mum lost her 4 year battle with bowel cancer. She fought this awful illness with great courage and dignity throughout. She never complained, and bounced back from each operation and round of treatment she had. Bowel cancer is the second highest cancer killer in the UK, but can be successfully treated in over 90% of cases if diagnosed early. Only 15% of bowel cancer patients are diagnosed at the early stage, so improving early diagnosis rates is crucial. At the beginning of 2018 Beating Bowel Cancer merged with Bowel Cancer UK to become the UK's leading bowel cancer charity, so all funds raised from sales of Lives & Times, and all the items on www.bowelcancerfundraising.co.uk are donated to the charity. Please support me in this fundraising venture. Over £3750 raised so far, with particularly amazing support from fans of The Alarm.

The support of The Alarm is continuing with my forthcoming book, The Record, which will feature the current line-up. I've already met and photographed Smiley and James Stevenson, and I'm hoping to also meet Jules too...