rivers2cross

This weekend in Rhyl sees the rearranged 40th anniversary acoustic concerts featuring Mike Peters of The Alarm. It does feel a little strange not being there and missing out on what will no doubt be a special weekend and the chance for so many friends to get together for the first time in a couple of years. When the original dates were announced for June 2021 I had to sadly take the tough decision not to go, because the other celebratory concert in Cardiff was scheduled for a week later. This would have meant leaving Prince two weekends on the trot, and I didn’t want to do that. So I’ve been reconciled to not being at this weekend’s events for a couple of years now. I hope that everyone has an amazing time!

The music of The Alarm came into my life exactly 39 years ago when I heard their single, The Stand, being played by John Peel. A couple of months later me and three friends saw The Alarm play at the old Marquee Club in London. This gig remains without doubt as the best gig I have ever been too, and it wouldn’t be too much to say that it changed my life. The rest as they say is history.

I spent almost 35 years following The Alarm very much in the shadows and didn’t meet many fellow fans in spite of going to all the tours and the annual Gathering events in Llandudno. That all changed in 2016 after I’d published the Lives & Times book. I had managed to meet all the original members of the band and the book received some amazing support from the fans, and as a result I was dragged out of the shadows and have met so many amazing people who I am now lucky enough to consider as friends. I’ve been to New York twice to see The Alarm, and these days wherever I go to see them I know that I will see a friendly face.

Today I received an important letter from the NHS inviting me to take part in bowel cancer screening having reached the grand old age of 56. I could go into a whole essay about the screening age in England still being stuck at 60 as opposed to Scotland where it is 50. However, this is at least a small step in the right direction, and I will be using the kit when it arrives and hope my results are clear. If anyone reading this also receives a kit please do not ignore it, as when caught early bowel cancer is usually very treatable… I am also acutely aware of the increasing number of younger people getting diagnosed with bowel cancer at the advanced stage, and the associated problems of their symptoms being ignored and being told they are too young to have bowel cancer. This is a massive issue that needs addressing and improving.

It’s been quite a week. The events in the Ukraine are so awful and upsetting. I am steering clear of the news as I am looking after my mental health with me still being in the early stages of recovery. I get headlines on the radio bulletins as well as the BBC News website. Work has been nice and busy, which is always welcome, especially at the moment. The fundraising continues to amaze me. The Life of Mique teddy bears have now raised just under £1250 for Monique Buckingham’s Go Fund Me Page and the new Kindness Vs Cancer teddies in memory of Laura Kendrick have raised £300 in the first 24 hours. In a world where there is so much awful stuff going on, it is heartening to be on the receiving end of so much goodness and generosity from people. Until tomorrow x