Clare Grogan From Altered Images Supporting The Lives & Times Bowel Cancer Fundraising Book

I met up with the lovely Clare Grogan back in 2014 after she agreed to be in my bowel cancer fundraising book. She was performing an Altered Images set at Let's Rock on very hot summer's day in Southampton. The day turned out to be quite eventful, as for starters the chapter in the book describes how I managed to get myself thrown out of the press pit whilst photographing Clare and the band. After Clare came off stage I took a very special shot back stage after having had a chat with her. 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. Here's a photo I took during her performance that's not in the book.

Sadly since Lives & Times was published in November 2015, my Mum lost her battle with bowel cancer. She fought this awful disease with immense courage and great dignity, but she passed peacefully away in August 2016. The book has raised over £3250 for the Beating Bowel Cancer charity to date.

Lives & Times Book Kindle Edition

The kindle edition of the Lives & Times fundraising book for Beating Bowel Cancer is available to buy and download from Amazon. It costs £2.99 and all sales proceeds are donated to the charity. 

I have been heavily promoting the physical versions of the book. The hardback and paperback version are available on my own website www.bowelcancerfundraising.co.uk, and so far they account for over 95% of the sales. I must admit I am a fan of reading both physical books and eBooks. However I have to be honest that with Lives & Times I love the physical editions. That being said I have the eBook and am constantly referring to it, and love having it on my phone at the touch of a button. Many people now only read books on their devices, and that is something that I am happy to embrace.

Mum passed away in August 2016 after bravely fighting bowel cancer for over four years with great dignity. The idea of Lives & Times is to raise as much money as possible for Beating Bowel Cancer. The book in all formats, alongside the limited edition silk screen prints, has raised over £3250 to date. The book also aims to raise awareness about bowel cancer, which is the second highest cancer killer in the UK, but in over 90% of cases patients can live for five years or longer if it is detected early. We need to get past this taboo about talking about an area of our body we would prefer not to, and something that involves using the words "bum" and "poo". 

Please support Lives & Times in any way you can and do our bit to help beat bowel cancer.

Raffle Idea for Beating Bowel Cancer

I am considering holding a raffle to raise funds for Beating Bowel Cancer. My initial thought is to put one of the screen prints up as a prize and have 125 x £1 tickets. This way for a minimal investment everyone has an equal chance of getting hold of this wonderful item. 

The other way I could go is to approach some of the very kind people who have featured in the books, and see if they might donate a prize for a bigger raffle with no limit of tickets...

Artist Adam Green has created the Lives & Times screen print to raise funds for Beating Bowel Cancer. The print sized 39cm x 49cm on 300gsm Somerset paper is limited to just 25 copies. This wonderful piece of art was done at Ochre Print Studio, who have very kindly donated all the materials Adam used ensuring that the whole of the purchase price is donated to the charity.

The print is also on sale in the web store on my bowelcancerfundraising.co.uk website or you can email me directly. Get your own piece of art for just £125 and raise funds for Beating Bowel Cancer. 

Adam's description, "The print I have produced has been inspired by Tim's book, Lives & Times. A book created to raise funds for Beating Bowel Cancer after Tim's Mum was diagnosed in 2012. I was really taken with the concept of what Tim was doing with his book, travelling the length and breadth of the UK to meet and photograph famous sportspeople, musicians, actors, DJs etc. The front cover of the book shows two silhouettes facing each other. I took this idea and developed my print with this in mind, thinking about the one to one interaction Tim had with many people in order to create his book. The print is made up of many different layers, each one possibly signifying the different stages in the journey that people follow once being diagnosed with cancer. I am very pleased to have produced this print for Tim and his charity. I really hope it brings joy and positive thoughts to all those who purchase one."

Norma de Bidaph from Gearlink Kawasaki features in the Lives & Times bowel cancer charity book

I can't believe that it was 3 years ago now that I met Norma de Bidaph, who runs the Gearlink Kawasaki motorbike team with her husband Michael. Norma is in remission from bowel cancer, and is a keen fundraiser for bowel cancer charities. She has also been especially supportive of my fundraising efforts. She sent me this brilliant photo of her with the charity book.

The chapter on Norma in Lives & Times, which was published in 2015, moves away from the celebrity angle of some of the chapters, and shows how the book contains chapters on the everyday person as well. She invited me to the Thruxton Circuit to a round of the British Superbikes Championship. In the chapter I describe our meeting, Norma's battle with bowel cancer, and the whole experience including my efforts to photograph the motorbikes that were flying past at speeds in excess of 200mph.

Like many, who have battled with cancer, Norma doesn't consider herself brave, but just having to face the illness head on. I found her truly inspirational, and the affection she is held in by everyone associated with the sport was shown time and time again during the day. She is absolutely lovely, and looked after me very well in spite of being on the go non-stop all day. I am looking forward to returning to a race meeting and seeing Norma again sometime soon.

It is now almost a year since my Mum passed away after fighting bowel cancer for over four years. I am currently doing a new book dedicated to her memory, which will once again donate its proceeds to Beating Bowel Cancer. As well as fundraising, the books also aim to help raise awareness about bowel cancer. It is the second highest cancer killer, and yet if detected early can be successfully treated in over 90% of cases.

To see how you can buy a copy of Lives & Times click here. ALL proceeds raised are donated to the Beating Bowel Cancer charity. The book has raised over £3250 so far.