rivers2cross

I can’t believe that it’s almost six years since I met up with the wonderful singer and actress Clare Grogan. She was performing an Altered Images set at Let’s Rock on a very hot summer’s day in Southampton in July 2014, and she’d agreed to have a chat with me for the Lives & Times bowel cancer fundraising book, which I published in 2015.

The day turned out to be a little more eventful than I’d planned. Having been permission to go down to the front into the photographers area to take some photos of Clare and the band during the set, I ended up being thrown out by security! I had an anxious few minutes wait until I was thankfully allowed back in once the mix up was sorted out. Fortunately all’s well that ends well and I still managed to take plenty of terrific shots of what was a terrific set.

After Clare came off stage I took a couple of very special photos backstage after having had a chat with her. I’d only found out the day before our meeting that Clare’s husband Stephen has had bowel cancer, and it was fascinating talking to her about our own experiences of having a family member with bowel cancer. She was incredibly kind and generous with her time, and it was a wonderful experience for the book.

I was supposed to be going to see Altered Images play in Reading in May, but the gig has been rescheduled to later in the year due to the Coronavirus, so I am hoping to be able to go the new date in July.

Mum lived to see Lives & Times published, but sadly she died of bowel cancer in August 2016. Throughout her illness she was courageous and dignified, and continued to enjoy life right up until the end.

Lives & Times is still available to purchase from rivers2cross.com with all proceeds raised now donated to Bowel Cancer UK since its merger with Beating Bowel Cancer.