Victoria Derbyshire To Take Part in the Bowel Cancer Fundraising Book

BBC presenter and journalist Victoria Derbyshire has very kindly agreed to be part of the new book. Victoria is no stranger to cancer having been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. I will be meeting up with her one afternoon in May after her BBC Two daytime show finishes. This is another great coup for the book and I am very much looking forward to meeting Victoria.

My Mum passed away last August following a 4 year battle with bowel cancer. She fought it long and hard with great courage and dignity. This forthcoming book will dedicated to her memory with all proceeds raised from sales donated to the Beating Bowel Cancer charity. Bowel cancer claims 16,000 lives in the UK each year - the second highest cancer killer, but if detected early it can be successfully treated in over 90% of cases.

A big thanks to Dafydd Wyn Farr-Jones for helping to set up this photo. Dafydd, who has beaten bowel cancer, will also feature in the book.

BBC Presenter & Journalist Dan Walker Will Feature in Forthcoming Bowel Cancer Charity Book

Another great coup for the forthcoming charity book, is BBC presenter and journalist, Dan Walker. As well as presenting BBC Breakfast three times a week, Dan presents Football Focus and covers a variety of sports events. It's looking like I will be meeting him towards the end of May, and more details about that will follow once it's confirmed.

The book is being done in memory of my mother, who lost her four and half year battle with bowel cancer on August 29th, 2016. Although she successfully had surgery in 2012 to remove a tumour from her bowel, she went to suffer from secondary bowel cancer on her left lung and then her brain. In spite of four lung operations, and CyberKnife treatment for her brain, it was the cancer on her brain that she was unable to beat. Bowel cancer claims 16,000 lives each year, the second highest cancer killer. If detected early it is one of the most treatable in 90% of cases with patient survival rates of over five years. As well as raising funds for the Beating Bowel Cancer charity, the book will hopefully help raise awareness about this awful disease.

This book is the follow up to 2015's Lives & Times, which has raised over £3000 for Beating Bowel Cancer to date.

Bill Turnbull to Feature in Forthcoming Bowel Cancer Charity Book

I am really pleased to announce that journalist and broadcaster Bill Turnbull is going to feature in the forthcoming bowel cancer charity book. Bill spent 15 years hosting BBC Breakfast and now presents on Classic FM as well as still working for the BBC. I will hopefully get to speak to him about the interview he did a few years ago with Mike Peters of The Alarm, as there is a lot of love out there for Bill from fans of the band.

Bowel cancer is the second highest cancer killer in the UK claiming 16,000 lives each year. Yet if detected early it is very treatable in over 90% of cases. My mother passed away in 2016 following a four year battle with this awful illness. All proceeds raised from sales of the book will be donated to the Beating Bowel Cancer charity.

Leeds United Legend Eddie Gray Photographed At Elland Road

I travelled up to Elland Road on Friday, the home of Leeds Utd, to meet and photograph Eddie Gray who was part of Don Revie's legendary team of the 1960/70s. These days Eddie is an Ambassador for the club, and is also part of the commentary team on LUTV covering every Leeds game. The weather was pretty grim, but Eddie was full of enthusiasm and we spent about half an hour chatting about his life in football before he had to set off to cover the Leeds game away at Birmingham that evening. He is a fascinating man, full of interesting anecdotes, and not surprisingly has a deep knowledge of the game. We were allowed to take the photos by the pitch which was brilliant.

My mother passed away from bowel cancer last August aged 80. Eddie told me that his mother is 96 and still lives at her home. He comes from a family that obviously has good genes with most of them living to a very good age. So at 69 he is still a spring chicken!

All proceeds from sales of the forthcoming book will be donated to the Beating Bowel Cancer charity.

Meeting Laura Boyd for Bowel Cancer Charity Book at Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow

Out of all the photos that I have done in the two previously published fundraising book, and now the new third book, photographing Scottish Television presenter Laura Boyd is the furthest that I have travelled to take a picture. I had originally approached Laura to be in the Lives & Times book, but unfortunately we weren't able to make that happen, so I was really happy to get the opportunity this time around.

Laura has her own ongoing battle with leukemia since she was diagnosed in 2009. She epitomizes positivity and living life to the full that I have seen in so many people with cancer. This will be reflected in the photo that I have chosen to use in the forthcoming book, which is not the photo that I had planned to use... All will become clear in the book.

We met at Kelvingrove Park in the centre of Glasgow, which was somewhere where I could safely park with the dogs. Our midday meeting also allowed me to make a brief visit to Balloch Castle on Loch Lomond in the morning, which was a great location suggested by Laura. She was lovely to talk to and was very relaxed for the photos, which made my job, both enjoyable, and very straight forward.

This will be a great chapter to write up, and Laura's first record is an absolute belter! 😉

The book is being done in memory of my Mum, who passed away in August 2016, after a 4 year battle with bowel cancer. All funds raised from sales will be donated to the Beating Bowel Cancer charity. The book will also help raise awareness about this awful illness, which is the 2nd highest cancer killer in the UK. Yet if detected early it is very treatable in 90% of cases.