Photographing Amy Macdonald

I was given the wonderful opportunity to photograph Amy Macdonald last year for the forthcoming bowel cancer charity book, The Record. She very kindly agreed to me being given a photo pass for her concert at GLive in Guildford. It was an amazing experience, and I literally had to kneel in front of the stage to take the photos. The concert was terrific with Amy playing a stripped back set with her three-piece band. I love this photo, which I edited using a low-key effect, but it won't be the one I use in the book, where I will reveal the first record that Amy bought. She has a Best Of album coming out in November, and a UK tour in 2019, so exciting times for her.

The new book is in its final stages now, and I am aiming to finish the photography and meeting by the end of this year with a view to publishing in the first part of 2019. It is is the follow up to my 2015 book, Lives & Times, which has so far raised over £4000. All funds raised will be donated to Bowel Cancer UK (Beating Bowel Cancer Together) in memory of my mum who died in August 2016 after being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2012. This awful disease is the second highest cancer killer in the UK, but if detected early it is treatable in over 90% of cases. So apart from raising funds, the book will help to raise awareness about bowel cancer, which is vital to improving early detection rates.

Please check out my ETSY store. where all the proceeds raised from sales of items sold are donated to the Bowel Cancer UK.

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...

World Book Day 2018

Today is World Book Day 2018, and if there is one book you might consider buying then please take a look at the Lives & Times fundraising book supporting Beating Bowel Cancer / Bowel Cancer UK. Over the course of 18 months I met and photographed people from all walks of life to form the chapters of Lives & Times. Every single person taking part has given up their own time to do it and all funds raised go to Beating Bowel Cancer. Inside the book there are over 100 photographs and over 40,000 words. Since publication the book, along with STOP Bowel Cancer T-Shirts, and a limited edition screen print by artist Adam Green, has raised over £3750.

I began the book in 2014 two years after my mother had been diagnosed with bowel cancer. She was in fact in remission as I started it. but unfortunately the the cancer came back. Lives & Times was published in November 2015. Sadly my Mum lost her battle with cancer on August 29th, 2016 after a four year battle with this awful disease.

Mum

The book features chapters on Katherine Grainger, Sir Steve Redgrave, Gabby Logan, Jonathan Agnew, Nadine Dorries, Lorraine Kelly, Christopher Biggins, Ben Richards, Matthew Wright, Freya North, Gail Porter, Alan Davies, Shaun Keaveny, Mike Read, Status Quo, The Alarm, The Stranglers, Horace Panter, Clare Grogan and many others.

The Lives & Times can be bought in three different formats. Here is the breakdown on how you can order your copy. 

Hardback Edition

• Bowel Cancer Fundraising Website. This is the website I have set up. The book costs £23.99 of which the £7 I receive will be donated to Beating Bowel Cancer. Only available to UK customers.
• Amazon. The book costs £29.99 of which the approx £4.00 I receive will be donated to Beating Bowel Cancer.

Paperback Edition

• Bowel Cancer Fundraising Website. My website. The book costs £7.99 of which the £2.75 I receive will be donated to Beating Bowel Cancer. Only available to UK customers.
• Amazon. The book costs £8.99 of which the approx £1.00 I receive will be donated to Beating Bowel Cancer.

Ebook Edition

• Amazon. The digital edition for the kindle is only available on Amazon at the moment. There are free kindle apps that can run on your iPad and laptop. The book costs £2.49 of which the approx £1.00 I receive will be donated to Beating Bowel Cancer.

Worldwide (outside the UK)

• Amazon. Search "Lives & Times Tim Darvell" and you won't go too far wrong. 
• Book Depository. Offers free shipping to anywhere in the world so is a brilliant way for buyers living outside the UK to buy the book.

Finally I am quite happy to sell physical copies of the hardback and paperback editions directly bypassing the websites. Please contact me on email me at timdarv@googlemail.com to arrange it.

I have been supporting Beating Bowel Cancer since 2012, and information about the charity and the work that is does can be found by clicking here.

The Much Missed Billy Franks Features In The Lives & Times Bowel Cancer Charity Book

Billy Franks at The Union Chapel

2016 was a year when so many well know faces were taken from us. For me it was particularly sad when we lost the wonderful Billy Franks. Billy was a lovely man, a hugely underestimated songwriter and musician. I saw Billy's band The Faith Brothers support The Alarm back in the 1980s and they were without doubt the best support band I ever saw. Much more than that they became one of my favourite bands and it was always a mystery how commercial chart success just eluded them. I became reacquainted with Billy's music through the joys of social media and the internet. Over the course of 15 years or so I got to know him through his wonderful live gigs and solo albums. He always had time for his small, but loyal band of fans. Billy would always have a hug for you, and he knew everyone at his gigs by their first names. 

The news of Billy's passing came during the week in 2016 that we had my Mum's funeral after she lost her 4 year battle with bowel cancer, so hearing the news about Billy was another terrible blow. Billy had not long completed the Camino Frances 780km from France across the Pyrenees into Spain. When I donated to his crowdfunding appeal for the walk he returned my donation. Knowing at that time how poorly my Mum was, he said that there were more important things in life. It was a measure of the man, and something that I will never forget. 

Billy's daughter Alison with her copy of Lives & Times

For some chapters in the Lives & Times bowel cancer fundraising book I was able to combine business (not that I considered the book as work) with pleasure. One such chapter was photographing Billy at The Union Chapel in London. He was a keen a supporter of my fundraising efforts, and more than happy to meet up to be photographed for the book. The original idea we came up with for the book photo was to photograph Billy in Fulham, doing a now and then type idea with present day Billy versus Billy from the 1980s. However when the concert at The Union Chapel was announced it was too good an opportunity to miss. For the first time in his career Billy played an acoustic show back by a gospel choir. To see his songs performed in such a way was truly magical, and The Gospel Touch Choir were magnificent. It made for a wonderful chapter in the book, and all proceeds I receive are donated to Bowel Cancer UK / Beating Bowel Cancer, the UK's leading bowel cancer charity.

Not long before he died, Billy released, A Far Cry From Sunset, which is a wonderful collection of beautifully crafted songs. The music lives on, and Billy will never be forgotten.

Meeting Gabby Logan For The Lives & Times Bowel Cancer Fundraising Book

It required a little bit of patience in my quest to meet Gabby Logan for the Lives & Times bowel cancer charity book. I'd initially made contact with Gabby on Twitter, and she immediately agreed to be in the book. After months of near misses, cancellations, and me nagging her agent, we finally did the photograph for the book, in Reading of all places, being where I live. Gabby was at an event there supporting the Great British Tennis Weekend in 2015. We met towards the end of her stint, so time was against me, but she kindly chatted for a few minutes, and happily posed for photos including this one with the bowel cancer tie. The chapter includes the near miss story of going to do this photo at the BBC Match of the Day studios in Manchester. Gabby was absolutely lovely, and I really appreciate her support for the book.

My mother sadly passed away in 2016 from bowel cancer, having first being diagnosed in 2012. Four years, and five major operations - it was only when the cancer spread to her brain that her health declined. She died peacefully with me, my brother and sister at her bedside. My fundraising has continued, if anything with even greater passion and drive, and now dedicated to the memory of our wonderfully brave and courageous mum. Please support this fundraising book, which is available on my website, as every sale counts both in raising money and raising awareness about bowel cancer. All proceeds raised from sales are donated to the Beating Bowel Cancer / Bowel Cancer UK, who have recently merged to become the UK's leading bowel cancer charity. Over £3750 has been raised so far.

Over the course of 18 months I met and photographed people from all walks of life to form the chapters of Lives & Times. Every single person taking part has given up their own time to do it and all funds raised go to the Beating Bowel Cancer charity. As well as Gabby, others included are, Sir Steve Redgrave, Katherine Grainger, Jonathan Agnew, Nadine Dorries, Lorraine Kelly, Christopher Biggins, Matthew Wright, Freya North, Gail Porter, Alan Davies, Shaun Keaveny, Carrie Grant, Mike Read, Status Quo, The Stranglers, The Alarm, Clare Grogan and many others.

The Record - A Bowel Cancer Charity Book

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.

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.

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.

The Lives & Times Bowel Cancer Charity Book

On the back cover of the Lives & Times bowel cancer charity book I use the following description, "Over the course of 18 months I met and photographed people from all walks of life to form the chapters of Lives & Times. Every single person taking part has given up their own time to do it and all funds raised go to the Beating Bowel Cancer charity." And that's it really, but how can I entice anyone reading this to buy the book.

Inside the book there are over 100 photographs and over 40,000 words. I met Olympians Sir Steve Redgrave and Katherine Grainger. From the world of entertainment I met Gabby Logan, Lorraine Kelly, Alan Davies, Christopher Biggins and Matthew Wright.

There was always something interested to write having met people. Sometimes it was because they had an interesting story to tell or sometimes it was because something unexpected would happen. In the case of Clare Grogan from Altered Images I managed to get thrown out of the photo pit at the concert I was at! 

With Gail Porter I had a highly entertaining hour or so with her at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. She managed to get me on a loop-the-loop roller coaster! But Gail was typical of so many who responded immediately to my request with a yes, and took a leap of faith in this complete stranger who was on a mission to produce a charity book supporting Beating Bowel Cancer.

Music plays a big part in my life and it was not surprising that the book contains quite a few bands and musicians. For example there are chapters on The Wonder Stuff, Dodgy, The Alarm, Stiff Little Fingers, Billy Franks from The Faith Brothers, Horace Panter from The Specials, The Stranglers, Tim Wheeler from Ash, Dave Fenton from The Vapors, and Status Quo. In fact Quo were the very first band I approached and a few weeks later I was in the photo pit at the Hammersmith Apollo photographing the band. The evening had a strange ending...

Sport features in the book and as well footballing heroes such as Charlie Nicholas, Mick Channon and Phil Parkes, cricket features quite heavily. I spent months chasing BBC commentator Jonathan Agnew, and I finally got to meet him at Lords. I also got to meet David Lloyd, Melinda Farrell, Henry Blofeld, Michael Holding and Steve Harmison.



The book is entertaining, warm and I hope inspiring. I did not shy away from bowel cancer. In fact on a number of occasions the subject came up without me having any prior knowledge. I only found out the day before I met Clare Grogan that her husband has suffered from bowel cancer. I suppose this would help explain why some people were happy and keen to come on board and support the book. Some people have a personal connection with bowel cancer. MP Nadine Dorries lost a friend to bowel cancer and I ended up photographing her at Westminster. Author Freya North, who is an ambassador for the charity, lost a close friend to bowel cancer.



Actor Ben Richards has recovered from bowel cancer as has photographer David Levenson. Matthew Wright and Graham Fellows aka John Shuttleworth have both lost parents to bowel cancer.

The book is also full of normal everyday people. They may not be household names, but they all have a story to tell, and make up a vital part of the book. The late Norma de Bidaph at the time was in remission from bowel cancer, Rachel Chadwick author of 60 Postcards, publicans, the local football club, a translator from Brazil, an artist, and many more.

Last but not least the book features a chapter on my Mum, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2012, and sadly passed away on August 29th, 2016 after a long four and a half years brave courageous battle. Bowel cancer is the 4th most common cancer, and the 2nd highest cancer killer in the UK. However if detected early it can be successfully treated in over 90% of cases. Much more needs to be done in raising awareness about this awful disease, and to increase early diagnosis rates.

So who can you expect to see in the book...

• Sir Steve Redgrave CBE
• Katherine Grainger CBE
• Phil Parkes
• Mick Channon
• Jonathan Agnew
• Henry Blofeld
• Lorraine Kelly
• Christopher Biggins
• Matthew Wright
• Freya North
• Ben Richards
• Carrie Grant
• Gail Porter
• Alan Davies
• Shaun Keaveny
• Mike Read
• John Shuttleworth
• Tom Rosenathal
• Antonia Mariconda
• Status Quo
• The Stranglers
• The Alarm
• Clare Grogan
• Mikes Hunt& Erica Nockalls
• Horace Panter
• My Mum!

And a whole load more....

So many fascinating experiences all put together in one book. Available in paperback, hardback and digital eBook. There are many ways you can order Lives & Times. Please support this book, as every penny I receive is donated to Beating Bowel Cancer / Bowel Cancer UK, the UK's leading bowel cancer charity. Over £3750 has been raised so far. 

Please check out my www.bowelcancerfundraising.co.uk website where, as well as the book, you can buy art, t-shirts, mugs and also portrait photo sessions.