Meeting Siân Lloyd For Bowel Cancer Charity Book

Television presenter Siân Lloyd is the latest celebrity that I have met and photographed for the forthcoming book, The Record, which will raise funds for Bowel Cancer UK (Beating Bowel Cancer Together). We met at the stunning Dartmouth House in Mayfair, and we ended up chatting for a couple of hours, so it's going to be another cracking chapter for the book. I first thought of contacting Siân when I saw a photograph of her with the Beating Bowel Cancer logo on her jeans, which was taken when she won Rear Of The Year in 2007. It took a while for us to arrange this meeting, but it was more than worth the wait. She was absolutely lovely, and we chatted about my mum and bowel cancer, her first record, her career and so much more. I'll save the details for the chapter in the book, but I can reveal when we talked about music she is also a fan of The Alarm, and told me about her time working with Gareth Jones (Gaz Top) on How 2 in the 1990s. Gareth, a one time roadie with The Alarm also feature in the new book. 

I have met almost 100 people for this book and the previous book, Lives & Times, and I have never had a photo taken of me in action. Siân thought it we be a great idea to get on of the staff to take a picture of us on her phone.

My mum died in 2016, and not long after I began working on the new book pretty soon afterwards. I am hoping to have the photographs and meetings finished by the end of this year, as that will have been two and a half years, which I feel is a good time to draw a line under it all, and get the book published next spring.

Bowel cancer is the second highest cancer killer in the UK, and each year 16,000 people die of it. However if detected early at stage 1 it can be successfully treated in over 93% of cases. This falls to 7% when diagnosed at stage 4. At the moment only 15% of patients are detected at stage 1. So raising awareness is vital to help improve early detection rates. Bowel Cancer UK is doing some amazing work driving this process forward, and I am proud to be raising funds for them, and making my own small contribution to raising awareness. Please check out my ETSY store where my fundraising items are available.

Photographing Gaz Top in Kentish Town

Last night I had the pleasure of meeting television presenter Gareth Jones (Gaz Top) for my forthcoming bowel cancer fundraising book in Kentish Town before The Alarm's concert at The O2 Forum. As with any London gig it was busy and hectic, but Gareth, the former Alarm roadie before his TV career, made time to talk to me, and take photos even though he was running late, and he was a very popular figure in demand with many old friends wanting to say hello.

Transport problems, and a fantastic gig will add to the flavour of this chapter, but what stood out was a few bits and pieces that Gareth revealed to me including, sadly, a bowel cancer connection. He was ever so friendly and wanting to make sure I got what I needed for the book, even going the extra mile and sending me a very detailed email responding to a few questions, so a massive thanks to him.

My mum passed away in 2016 four and a half years after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. Although the operation to remove the tumour in her bowel was successful, the cancer spread to her lungs and she underwent four further operations to remove cancerous nodules. It was only when the cancer also spread to her brain that her health deteriorated and we were at her bedside when she peacefully passed away a week after her 80th birthday. All proceeds raised from sales of the new book, to be called The Record, will be donated to Bowel Cancer UK / Beating Bowel Cancer, the UK's leading bowel cancer charity.