Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I have decided to give up alcohol for the month of October 2016 in support of my friend Phil Kelly. I met Phil on my first day at Aston University, Wednesday 3rd October 1983. He was the first person I spoke to ( in fact, being a friendly Northerner he spoke to me ). We celebrated our new friendship by drinking 10 pints of whatever the Students Union was serving with our other new friend Darrell Pilling and we have been drinking to excess in each other's company at every opportunity ever since. In 2006 Phil was diagnosed with Myeloma.. He was given 5 years to live and advised to get his affairs in order. This he did and thanks to the support of his formidable family and the wonders of modern medicine, supplied by our National Health Service , he is still with us ten years later, still taking the tablets. In that time he has seen his son grow from an accident prone little boy into an accident prone teenager who is waiting for his broken wrist to heal before going back to winning rugby matches for Wasps junior Academy and his daughter emerge from the trials of secondary education to take a place at College to study Photography, inspired by her fathers experience being photographed by Rankin with people like Wilko Johnson, who was  also at that time "fixing to die". With partner in musical crime, Jim Fewtrell, he resurrected his post University band The Trophy Cabinet and has performed twice at The Jericho Tavern, Oxtord and supported his idols The Wedding Present at The Oxford O2. I invited myself to play loud delay effected electric guitar on stage and in rehearsal and provided an on stage heckling service.

I hope people will respond to by donating to Myeloma UK so that more people like Phil get to spend more time with us and their families than they might expect.

I could have tried to raise money by cycling up Mountains etc, but I would have enjoyed that too much. Most of you will know that I do  greatly enjoy the effect alcohol has on me. Going without will be a challenge, though I promise not to complain about being the only sober person at parties etc and will keep a Facebook page going to share my experiences of Mocktail making and spitting out wine at a wine tastings.

Feel free to send photographs of me in the past in a "relaxed state" and I will consider posting them on my page to remind you all of what you are missing out on this month.

Please give generously.

Cancer not only takes away our friends and loved ones but also denies them the chance to enhance the lives of people they haven't had time to meet yet.

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