rivers2cross

In December 2017 I met Nicola Bryant for my bowel cancer charity book The Record. She is perhaps best remembered for playing “Peri Brown” in Doctor Who during the 1980s. Nicola was ever so nice, and great fun as well. We probably spent more time talking about dogs than anything else. She was sporting her “Harvey” scarf, and I had Prince along for the ride, and Nicola made a big fuss of him which made her a new friend. Of course we talked about her time on Doctor Who, but also in the chapter there are a few interesting facts about Nicola that I did not know, and her first record is a cracker! Bowel cancer has sadly also touched Nicola’s family on her partner’s side, so I was really grateful for her support. The Record was published in June, and has raised over £800 for Bowel Cancer UK to date.

Bowel cancer is the second highest cancer killer in the UK. Each year 41,000 people are diagnosed with it, and 16,000 lose their lives. However, if detected early it can be successfully treated in over 90% of cases, so it is crucial to raise awareness about bowel cancer, and improve early detection rates.

My mum passed away in August 2016 after over four years of living with bowel cancer. She had five major operations, but managed to lead a normal and very happy life right up until the last few months when the cancer spread to her brain. The Record is dedicated to her memory.

Please click here to see all the formats and how you can buy The Record.