March 14th, 2017 - Photo 73 of 365

Bisham Abbey

I went to Bisham Abbey, outside Marlow, today to photograph Paralympic Gold Medalist, Jeanette Chippington, for my new bowel cancer fundraising book. I actually stayed here 40 years ago as a young schoolboy on a football training course. At that time they were literally digging out the foundations for what was to become the National Sports Centre. I still remember it being a fantastic footballing educational experience. These days the old Abbey is a hotel and hosts weddings and conferences. The National Sports Centre, which is to left in terms of the photo, is a state of the art facility where Jeanette does her gym work. During my teens, the Maidenhead Town Youth football team that I played for, would train on the old 5-a-side courts which have long since been replaced. Happy memories and nice to go back there today.

February 7th, 2017 - Photo 38 of 365

Jeanette with the bowel cancer tie

Today's photo had to be one taken one from my meeting with Paralympic gold medallist, Jeanette Chippington at Eton Dorney Lake. She has kindly agreed to be in the forthcoming charity book that I am doing to raise funds for the Beating Bowel Cancer charity. Jeanette lives in Maidenhead and in fact went to the same school that both my mum and sister did. She was very generous with her time giving me lots of material for the chapter in the book, which I am writing in memory of my Mum who lost her 4 year battle with bowel cancer last August. We will be meeting again sometime soon as we both agreed that a photo of her holding her gold medal from Rio 2016 would be a perfect finishing touch for the piece I am writing about her, and she also wants to buy a copy of my current fundraising book, Lives & Times, which is very kind and supportive of her. She was really nice and I really enjoyed the time I spent with her, which I am sure will come across in the chapter in the book. The new book should be coming  out sometime in 2018 hopefully, but if you can't wait that long why not get a copy of Lives & Times...