Britain is still a country with to an old rock band called Deep Purple, remembers Jon Lord and needs another 69,000 signatures on Maggie Watts e-petition for research into the cancer which killed him

Jon, unique and oft imitated keyboard player, known for his pioneering work fusing rock with classical music with 'Deep Purple', was 71 years old when he died from pancreatic cancer in 2012.

 

What you possibly didn't know about Jon, that he :

 

* was born in Leicester in 1941, during the Second World, where his father, an amateur saxophonist,  took him to afternoon tea dances, instilled him with a love of music set him to study classical piano from the age of five with a mix of Bach, medieval popular music and Elgar.

* in his teens at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys, took part in amateur dramatics and the school choir, while R and B, American organist, Jimmy McGriff and Jerry Lee Lewis started to influence him and later said : "The first four bars of 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On' totally turned my head around. I tried like hell to make the old piano at home sound like that but it wouldn't. That's when I realised there was more to rock and roll than meets the ear" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yRdDnrB5kM and at 17 in 1958, saw Buddy Holly perform in Leicester. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku5UeUT7yIQ

* left school at 17, worked as a clerk in a solicitor's office for two years then in 1959 moved to London, studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama before becoming a founder of  a breakaway group of students and teachers, 'Drama Centre London'.

* graduated in 1964 and got small acting parts but played the piano and Hammond organ in clubs to pay the bills, initially with jazz band 'The Bill Ashton Combo' at the age of 19 in 1960 then with 'Red Bludd's Bluesicians' until 1963 and played keyboard to the Kinks hit, "You Really Got Me". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk3Ei_yoI4c 

* moved on to 'The Art Wood Combo', later renamed 'The Artwoods', appeared on tv on 'Ready Steady Go' and had a chart single with 'I Take What I Want' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpN_XYxKScI which reached number 28 in 1966 and were focused on the organ as the bluesy, rhythmic core of their sound, in common with the contemporary bands, 'The Spencer Davis Group' with Stevie Winwood on organ and 'The Animals' with Alan Price.
 

* created his trademark sound when he formed 'Santa Barbara Machine Head',
(right with hat) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujDTqgNcG58
which featured Ronnie Wood and bassist Nick Simper, which with its powerful, organ- and guitar-driven formula, gave a preview of the future style of 'Deep Purple', then went on to cover for the keyboard player in 'The Flower Pot Men' and toured with the band in 1967. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HEmGBl86Ss

* in 1968 at the age of 27, with Nick, formed the backbone of 'Deep Purple' and were joined by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, singer Rod Evans and drummer Ian Paice when businessman and manager Tony Edwards invested in the new group and auditioned the cream of London's young talent.

* began experimenting with a keyboard sound produced by the Hammond organ by driving it through Marshall speakers in an effort to match Ritchie's guitar and  in the 8 years which followed, infused the band's songs with classical influences, as in song 'April' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kbyCTPYVaU
in 1969 and with his organ playing, counterpointed by Ritchie's virtuoso lead guitar, played in the world's largest stadiums and produced a series of  LPs : 'In Rock' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yNoMh2w1NM
in 1970, 'Fireball' in '71, 'Machine Head' in '72 and 'Burn' in '74
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0BY0JNplLM
until the bands break up in a haze of drugs and exhaustion in 1976.

* formed a new band with singer Tony Ashton, released 'Malice in Wonderland' in 1977, then joined and remained with 'Whitesnake' until rejoining a reformed 'Deep Purple' in 1984.

* undertook solo projects and collaborations in the 1980s including 'Before I Forget' in 1982, the soundtrack of Central Television's 1984 series 'The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady' and guest spots on albums by his Oxfordshire neighbour George Harrison and Pink Floyd's David Gilmour.

* toured and recorded with Pink Floyd for eighteen years, retired from the band at the age of 61 in 2002
and followed with solo projects including a collaboration in 2004 with Abba singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad, the formation of a blues band, 'Hoochie Coochie Menin 2007.

* was a member of George Harrison's social circle in Oxfordshire and was a close friend of John Mortimer  the barrister, dramatist, screenwriter, author and released his solo album 'To Notice Such Things' dedicated to his memory after his death in 2009.and in 2010, was made an honorary fellow of Stevenson College, Edinburgh and the following year, at the age 68, was awarded an honorary doctorate of music by the University of Leicester.

Jon died from pancreatic cancer on the

15th January with David paying this tribute :
"Although he played the simple soul of Trigger in Only Fools and Horses, he was a very intelligent man and a very fine actor capable of many roles."

The cancer which killed Jon remains the Cinderellas of cancers in comparison with bowel, breast and prostate. Only more funding and public awareness will lead to earlier detection and, ultimately, better survival rates. It is often called the 'silent killer' since many of its symptoms mirror other less critical illnesses and doctors may not recognise these early enough, resulting in lost time before diagnosis and a terminal outcome. It kills 7,900, mostly old men and women in Britain each year with 75% of cases in those aged 65 years and over.

Last year, Maggie Watts, who lost her husband to pancreatic cancer at the age of just 48 in 2009, launched a UK Government E-petition to push it further up the political agenda.
The petition is a call to :
'Provide more funding and awareness for pancreatic cancer to aid long overdue progress in earlier detection and, ultimately, improved survival rates'

Maggie speaking to ITN : http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/update/2014-01-21/pancreatic-cancer-campaign

So, in memory of Jon, please sign Maggie's petition and spread it to family, friends and colleagues though facebook, twitter and other social media to help her get her 100,000 signatures :
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/48389

 

Britain said "Happy Birthday" to David 'Del Boy' Jason, remembers Roger 'Trigger' Lloyd-Pack and needs another 69,000 signatures on Maggie Watts petition for research into the cancer which killed him

David, tv actor of many incarnations has enjoyed his 74th birthday. In, perhaps his most famous role, as south London wide boy, Derek Trotter he played with Roger as Colin Ball, the slow-witted road sweeper and fellow patron of the Nags Head Pub in the comedy series, 'Only Fools and Horses',

What you possibly didn't know about David and Roger, before their paths crossed, that  they :

* were born, David White in Edmonton, North London in 1940 at the time of the German bombing blitz of London during the Second World War, along with a twin brother who died in childbirth and Roger, in Islington, North London four years later in 1944.

* David grew up in a working-class family with his father a porter in Billingsgate Fish Market and Roger was the son of an actor, proud of his East London working-class origins in East London, who added 'Lloyd' to his name in the 1930s and worked as a regular in 'Hammer' horror films.

* David at school developed a defence against bullies by making them laugh, took on the lead role in a school play as a 'stand in' and joined the local Amateur Dramatic Society.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm-eGlrI0tc while Roger at the  independent coeducational boarding school, Bedales, also began acting and then, after leaving, decided to follow his father into acting, thinking that it was "magic and what I want to do".

* David left school wanting to follow in his older brother Arthur's footsteps as an actor, but deferred to his father's wishes to first 'get a trade' and worked for six years as an electrician, before becoming a jobbing actor and later claimed to have changed his name to 'Jason' as a homage to his childhood fictional hero from 'Jason and the Argonauts', while Roger left to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

* David started his tv career in 1964, at the age of 24, playing Bert Bradshaw in the series 'Crossroads' and in 1967 played a spoof  super-hero, 'Captain Fantastic' in the children's tv comedy series, 'Do Not Adjust Your Set'  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0kk8Dvzhuo while Roger made his stage debut in 'The Shoemaker's Holiday' by Thomas Dekker at the Theatre Royal, Northampton, before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company, but found jobs hard to come by, which, in part, he put this down to his looks saying : “It took a while for all my features to fall into place".

* David, in 1969, was recruited to appear in 'Hark at Barker' as Dithers, the hundred-year old gardener.and 4 years later junior employee Granville in 'Open All Hours' starring Ronnie Barker as the miserly proprietor of a corner shop and featured in Ronnie's prison based comedy, 'Porridge', as the old man Blanco while Roger made his tv debut in 'The Avengers' at the age of 20 in 1965, followed by appearances in the 1970s series,'Jason King', 'Crown Court' and 'Softly Softly: Taskforce'.

* both were united on tv as Del Boy and Trigger in 1981 in the John Sullivan comedy, 'Only Fools and Horses' and have become immortalised in that bar scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63rcdLeXiU8 and remembered for
for the brief cases : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwKFc6jclK8

* worked together in seven series until 1991 and in Christmas specials, with an audience of 24 million in 1996, until the last show in 2003 and may have reunited in the sketch to be shown later this year for Sport Relief, had not Roger been too ill to take part.

* David went on to play, from 1991-93, 'Pop' Larkin in the rural idyll, 'The Darling Buds of May', based on the H.E.Bates novel, which also featured the then unknown Catherine Zeta Jones as his daughter Mariette. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKM_tkofUhs while in 1994 Roger started and continued to play for the next 13 years, Owen Newitt,, the local farmer in the tv comedy series, 'The Vicar of Dibley', written by Richard Curtis and starring Dawn French as the ecclesiastical new broom, Geraldine, in a sleepy Oxfordshire parish.

* in 1992, David signed a golden-handcuffs deal at ITV to star as Detective Inspector Jack Frost  in the long-running series 'A Touch of Frost' which he finished with a two-part finale at the age of 70 in 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsX1C9T2yHg while on stage, Roger appeared alongside Nigel Havers and Barry Foster in Yasmina Reza's, 'Art' in the West End in 2001 and in film in 2005, joined forces with his friend and neighbour, the director, Mike Newell, in 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' playing Barty Crouch.

*  in 2006, at the age of 61, Roger had fun as John Lumic (left) in the reappearance of 'Doctor Who' on tv, playing opposite David Tennant and in 2009-10 and in 'The Old Guys', with Clive Swift, played an ageing has-been, focusing his attention on  Asher, his disobliging neighbour and returned to the stage in a revival of Patrick Marber's gambling classic, 'Dealer's Choice' at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2007 and earned praise as a growly old 'Davies' in Pinter's 'The Caretaker' at the Nuffield, Southampton and a fierce 'Prospero' in 'The Tempest' at the Edinburgh Festival.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9gE7i3RZ9k&list=PLEA5C87AC1D2F257B&index=1

Roger died from pancreatic cancer on the 15th January with David paying this tribute :
"Although he played the simple soul of Trigger in Only Fools and Horses, he was a very intelligent man and a very fine actor capable of many roles."

The cancer which killed Roger remains the cinderella of cancers in comparison with bowel, breast and prostate. Only more funding and public awareness will lead to earlier detection and, ultimately, better survival rates. It is often called the 'silent killer' since many of its symptoms mirror other less critical illnesses and doctors may not recognise these early enough, resulting in lost time before diagnosis and a terminal outcome. It kills 7,900, mostly old men and women in Britain each year with 75% of cases in those aged 65 years and over.

Last year, Maggie Watts, who lost her husband to pancreatic cancer at the age of just 48 in 2009, launched a UK Government E-petition to push it further up the political agenda.
The petition is a call to :
'Provide more funding and awareness for pancreatic cancer to aid long overdue progress in earlier detection and, ultimately, improved survival rates'

Maggie speaking to ITN : http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/update/2014-01-21/pancreatic-cancer-campaign

So, in memory of Trigger, please sign Maggie's petition and spread it to family, friends and colleagues though facebook, twitter and other social media to help her get her 100,000 signatures :
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/48389

Trigger :
"I don't know what you're worried about (BSE). I've been eating British beef all my life."
"No, I told them (a dating agency) I was bus conductor. To add a bit of glamour"
"That's what I've done. Maintained it (his roadsweeper's broom) for 20 years. This old brooms had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in its time."http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUl6PooveJE

 

 

In Britain, England is no part of the country for more sick, frightened old men sent more often to accident and emergency in hospital

It's frightening enough for a young man or woman :

An accident or sudden illness.
The emergency phone call.
The arrival of the ambulance with sirens blaring.
Taken on a stretcher by strangers.
The ride in the ambulance sirens blaring.
Arrival at strange hospital.
Questions and examination by a stranger.

Now imagine this if you are an old man or woman over 90 and double the fear and confusion.
 
The 6th annual publication of the 'Accident and Emergency Attendance Data' by the Health and Social Care Information Centre has just revealed that this happened on 300,370 occasions in England to this group brought into hospital accident and emergency units last year. Up from 165,910 in 2009/10, an 80%.increase.

So what's going wrong ?

Members of Parliament and campaigners say, that for old men and women :

* cuts to social care budgets and failures by general practice services mean that they are not being properly looked after at home.

* lack of home help and inadequate monitoring by doctors, practice nurses and, in some cases, families has left them prone to falls, fractures, infections and sudden problems with long-term complaints such as heart failure.

Local authority spending on adult social care had been cut by the Government by £1.8 billion since 2009/10.

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said:
"It is important that older people receive the treatment and care they need and sometimes this means going to hospital. However, we know that, in some cases, being admitted to hospital is the consequence of not getting good quality care at home. Access to high quality social care is increasingly difficult as many vital services are withdrawn or reduced as a result of the current crisis in care."

Andy Burnham, Shadow Health Secretary, said :
"It is appalling to think that, every week, there are thousands of frail and frightened people speeding through our towns and cities in the backs of ambulances to be left in a busy A & E. This is often the worst place for them to be and a disorientating experience that can cause real distress. With proper support in the home, this could all be avoided."

He also said it did not make financial sense to cut support to people in their homes:
"It is no answer to the challenges of the ageing society to allow our hospitals to become increasingly full of older people. David Cameron must take personal charge and reverse these terrible trends."

What a sad country Britain has become.

Britain is no longer a country for Pete Postlethwaite but is one for Maggie Watts fighting for research into the cancer which killed him and in need of 73,000 signatures

Our great British actor, Pete Postlethwaite, was struck down with pancreatic cancer and died before his time at the age of 64 in 2011.

What was said about that wonderful face :

* 'His rugged features made him every casting director's go-to guy for raw, lived-in truth.'

* 'The stark planes and bulges of his face created a veritable Easter Island statue of authenticity and plainness.'

* 'For around a quarter of a century he played the same approximate middle age, with the face of a man whose life had been hard-earned, and whose dues had been paid in full long before.'

* 'He had a face that elicited many similes, among them 'a stone archway' and 'a bag of spanners'.''

Steven Spielberg once said : "he was the best actor in the world" after working with the actor on the 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park', to which Pete quipped: "I'm sure what Spielberg actually said was : "'The thing about Pete is that he thinks he's the best actor in the world.'"

He was best known as a screen actor in the 1993 film, 'In the Name of the Father' the true-life drama about the wrongful arrest, trial and imprisonment of the 'Guildford Four' as IRA bombers. He played Guiseppe Conlon, father of Gerry Conlon and the innocent, law-abiding blue-collar worker in 1970's Catholic West Belfast who subsequently died in prison :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0ff5KjZ7vM
The role earned him an Oscar nomination for 'Best Supporting Actor'.

John Prescott, former Labour Deputy Prime Minister said the greatest acclaim for an actor was to be so good that it made people get out and do something. "Pete Postlethwaite made me do the latter – twice. He was a fine actor, a devoted campaigner and a good man. Pete will be missed but his art changed the lives of many for the better. I can't think of a better compliment than that."

Julie Walters, actress : "He invented 'edgy'. He was an exhilarating person and actor."

Jim Sheridan, Film Director : "Everybody loved him. He was an amazing character and a lovely man. He was a great warrior. He looked indestructible, that was the thing about him."

Bill Nighy,actor called him "a rare and remarkable man. I was honoured by his friendship – he is irreplaceable".

Film Clips :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2011/jan/03/pete-postlethwaite-career-clips

Danny's Speech from 'Brassed Off' in 1996 :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=lKx3MUqzCcQ

Pancreatic cancer, which was responsible for Pete's death, remains the cinderella of cancers in comparison with bowel, breast and prostate. More funding and more public awareness is vital so that progress can be made in earlier detection and, ultimately, better survival rates. It is often called the 'silent killer' since many of its symptoms mirror other less critical illnesses and doctors may not recognise these early enough, resulting in lost time before diagnosis and a terminal outcome. It kills 7,900, mostly old men and women in Britain each year with 75% of cases in those aged 65 years and over.

Last year, Maggie Watts, who lost her husband to pancreatic cancer at the age of just 48 in 2009, launched a UK Government E-petition to push it further up the political agenda. The petition is a call to :

'Provide more Funding & Awareness for Pancreatic Cancer to aid long overdue progress in earlier detection and, ultimately, improved survival rates'

Maggie and her supporters need 100,000 signatures by the 8th April this year in order for these issues about pancreatic cancer to be taken up in Parliament and with 3 months to go they are still 73,000 signatures short.

Unlike Pete, Kevin Watts was in his late 40's when he was struck down. He :

* as a builder, had always been fit and healthy but in 2008, after eight months of apparently unconnected symptoms : queasy stomach, severe back pain and dramatic weight loss, with his doctor thinking he had a stomach ulcer, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

* was told that the tumour was inoperable because it was wrapped around a main artery in his pancreas, the organ responsible for making hormones such as insulin, which helps keep blood sugar levels stable, and producing digestive enzymes to break down food.

* after undergoing chemotherapy was told it had failed to shrink the tumour away from the artery and that he had 6 to 18 months to live and died in December 2009 in a hospice.

It is really very simple.
Lack of funding = lack of research.
Lack of research = lack of understanding of the condition.
Lack of understanding of the condition = late diagnosis.
Late diagnosis = a poor rate of survival.

It is important not to lose sight of the fact that poor diagnosis and resulting poor rates of survival affects the family, friends and colleagues of the departed. Maggie's loss and tribute to Kevin is a reminder of that :

 ' For my gorgeous husband Kevin: You stared pancreatic cancer firmly in the face and absolutely refused to succumb until it had drained every last ounce of your strength. We are proud of you. Your fight was truly inspirational and I will never cease to be amazed at how you handled the knowledge that pancreatic cancer would, in a relatively short space of time, take your life. You refused to give in and have left us with many, many good memories, particularly your "I'm Still Standing Party" held with all of our family and friends to celebrate outliving the 18 month prognosis! Sadly, the cancer took a firm hold not long after and we had to face the hardest part - letting you go. We did so in the knowledge that you would be at peace and watching over us. Life ends but love is eternal and we carry you with us, in our hearts, wherever we go. Love you and miss you every day. With love always Maggie xxx'

Maggie speaking to ITN : http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/update/2014-01-21/pancreatic-cancer-campaign/

So in memory of Pete, please sign Maggie's petition and spread it to family, friends and colleagues through facebook, twitter and other social media to help Maggie get her 100,000 signatures by April :

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/48389

Britain says "Hats off and Happy Bithday" to an old master of stage farce and voice of those with learning difficulties called Brian Rix.

Brian, who I remember on black and white tv and on stage in Whitehall farces, when I was a boy in the 1960's is 90 years old today.

What you possibly didn't know about Brian, that he :

* was born in Cotingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the son of Fanny, who ran a good amateur dramatic society and was lead soprano in the local Operatic Society and Herbert, who ran a family shipping and subsequently, oil company in Kingston upon Hull.

* was, as boy, a talented cricketer, who wanted to play for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, but when at Bootham School in York (right) decided to follow his sister, Sheila, into an acting career, which he did at the age of 18 on 'deferred service' from the Royal Air Force during the Second World in 1942 and in Donald Wolfit's Shakespeare Company.

* played Sebastian in 'Twelth Night' at St James's Theatre in London, gained repertory experience with the renowned 'White Rose Players' at the Opera House in Harrogate, then joined the RAF before volunteering to work as a 'Bevin boy' in the coal pits near Doncaster.

* returned to the stage after the War and formed his own theatre company at the age of 23 in 1947 after talking his father and uncles, into putting up the then considerable sum of £1,000 and used £50 of the cash to buy an option on 'Reluctant Heroes' become the first 'Whitehall farce' and 'number one' cinema hit in 1952, with him playing the gormless north-country Army recruit, Horace Gregory.

* at 25, married actress Elspeth Gray, remained with her, domestically and professionally for 64 years until her death last year and worked alongside her in in the 50s and 60s for 16 years in his farces at the Whitehall Theatre before he moved to the Garrick Theatre, breaking West End records in the process.

* after his wife gave birth to their first child in 1951, was summoned to her obstetrician's Harley Street rooms where, offering him a cigarette, the doctor asked: "Have you heard of mongolism? I am afraid that your daughter is a mongol. Will you tell your wife?"

*  became, with his wife, involved in the world of learning disability after finding a complete lack of welfare support and education for his daughter with Downs Syndrome with the only care in the shape of a Victorian, run-down hospital where 'patients' were left to their own devices for hours on end.

*  threw himself into fundraising for learning disability charities, became the first treasurer of the 'Stars Organisation for Spastics', which supported the then 'Spastics Society', became first chairman of the 'special functions fundraising committee' of the then 'National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults', which became 'Mencap'.

* presented more than 90 farces on BBC TV, with viewing figures regularly topping 15 million and in the early 1960s was its highest paid actor, but is rarely mentioned in retrospective programmes looking at the early days of tv because only 6 recordings exist in the BBC archive.

* became renown for losing his trousers and subsequently lost them at least 12,000 times in 26 years he was on stage, although less on tv in scenes, with his character innocently caught with his trousers down in the bedroom of a woman who was not his wife.

* produced 'Dry Rot' (left) in 1954 and saw it run for 4 years, followed by 'Simple Spyman' and 'Chase Me Comrade' with Ronald Bryden in the 'New Statesman' writing : 'There they are are: the most robust survivors of a great tradition, the most successful British theatrical enterprises of our time. Curious that no one can be found to to speak up wholeheartedly for them – no one, that is, outside enthusiastic millions who have packed every British theatre where they have played.'

* made films 'And the Same to You' in 1960 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ate1mATfPP8 and  'The Night We Got the Bird' in 1961 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIObu7DMhsg

* was described by Harold Hobson in the Sunday Times as : 'The greatest master of farce in my theatre-going lifetime', but received no theatrical awards and after 26 years of almost continuous performance in the West End, on 8 January 1977, gave his final very emotional performance in 'Fringe Benefits' to a packed house on the stage where he started, the Whitehall Theatre.

* from 1978-82, with his daughter, Louisa, presented the BBC TV series, 'Let's Go', the first designed specifically for people with learning disability and in 1980, became the Secretary-General of Mencap, then Chairman in 1988 and at the age of 76, President, an office he still holds today.

* entered the House of Lords as an apolitical cross bencher in 1992, campaigned ceaselessly on legislation affecting people with a learning disability, has been one of the most regular attenders, introducing numerous amendments to legislation associated with health, social welfare and education and  saw his amendments to the 'Childcare Bill' extend statutory childcare provision for children with a disability from 16 to 18 years old and changes to the 'Electoral Administration Bill' lead to people with a learning disability being able to vote freely.

* served as the first Chairman of the 'Arts Council Monitoring Committee on Arts and Disability', founded and chaired the charity 'Libertas' which produced audio guides for disabled people at museums, historical buildings and  places of interest, gave up smoking in 1950 when he lost his voice during a matinee of 'Reluctant Heroes' and subsequently became a founding member of ASH, 'Action on Smoking and Health'.

* has produced two autobiographies : 'My Farce From My Elbow' in 1974 and 'Farce About Face' in1989 and 'Gullible's Travails', an anthology of travel stories by the famous for the 'Mencap Blue Sky Appeal' and for Mencap's 60th anniversary, produced 'All About Us! – The history of learning disability and of the Royal Mencap Society.'

So its 'Hats Off' as a salute to an old Brit who started his career making audiences laugh in the Whitehall Theatre with his trousers down and ends it making the lives of those with learning difficulties better with his amendments to laws in the Mother of Parliaments.

Britain's old men with pancreatic cancer have a champion in Maggie Watts, but one with an e-petition in dire need of 70,500 signatures

Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of death from in Britain yet with the worst survival rate of all cancers, it receives only 1% of money spent on research. Its five year survival rate of 3% hasn’t improved in over 40 years. By comparison, prostate cancer affecting old men, has a survival rate rising from 31% in 1971 to 81% today. PC  has been responsible for the death of our much loved parliamentary sketch writer, Simon Hoggart at the age of 67 and actor, Roger Lloyd-Pack at the age of 69, within weeks of one another.

Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Britain is no longer a country for an old and rare political sketch writer called Simon Hoggart who wielded a truthful, witty pen
http://britainisnocountryforoldmen.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/britain-is-no-longer-country-for-old.html


Friday, 17 January 2014
Britain is no longer a country for and says "Goodbye" to an old many-faceted actor called Roger Lloyd-Pack who was and will forever be, Colin 'Trigger' Ball
http://britainisnocountryforoldmen.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/britain-is-no-longer-country-for-and_17.html

In addition, 66 year old rock guitarist, Wilko Johnson, continues his fight against pancreatic cancer.

Friday, 12 July 2013
Britain is still a country for, but only just, and says "Happy Birthday to an old blues guitarist called Wilko Johnson
http://britainisnocountryforoldmen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/britain-is-still-country-for-but-only.html

Pancreatic cancer remains the cinderella of cancers in comparison with bowel, breast and prostate. More funding and more public awareness is vital so that progress can be made in earlier detection and, ultimately, better survival rates. It is often called the 'silent killer' since many of its symptoms mirror other less critical illnesses and doctors may not recognise these early enough, resulting in lost time before diagnosis and a terminal outcome. It kills 7,900, mostly old men and women in Britain each year with 75% of cases in those aged 65 years and over.

Last year, Maggie Watts, who lost her husband to pancreatic cancer at the age of just 48 in 2009, launched a UK Government E-petition to push it further up the political agenda. The petition is a call to :

'Provide more Funding & Awareness for Pancreatic Cancer to aid long overdue progress in earlier detection and, ultimately, improved survival rates'

Maggie and her supporters need 100,000 signatures by the 8th April this year in order for these issues about pancreatic cancer to be taken up in Parliament and with 3 months to go they are still 77,000 signatures short.

Unlike Simon and Roger in their late 60's, Kevin was in his late 40's when he was struck down. He :

* as a builder, had always been fit and healthy but in 2008, after eight months of apparently unconnected symptoms : queasy stomach, severe back pain and dramatic weight loss, with his doctor thinking he had a stomach ulcer, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

* was told that the tumour was inoperable because it was wrapped around a main artery in his pancreas, the organ responsible for making hormones such as insulin, which helps keep blood sugar levels stable, and producing digestive enzymes to break down food.

* after undergoing chemotherapy was told it had failed to shrink the tumour away from the artery and that he had 6 to 18 months to live and died in December 2009 in a hospice.

Ali Stunt, founder of the charity, Pancreatic Cancer Action has said :
"Pancreatic cancer has been overlooked, almost as if it's too hard to deal with ... There's a direct correlation between those cancers where there has been significant investment in research and improved survival rates. With pancreatic cancer, five-year survival isn't even discussed, and we know 50  per cent of patients hadn't heard of pancreatic cancer before their diagnosis. Even the one-year survival rate is under 20 per cent."

Ross Carter, Consultant in Pancreatic Surgery at Glasgow Royal Infirmary has said that the main problem is late diagnosis with 80% of patients too late for surgery, the only potentially curative option as the cancer spreads or has wrapped around major blood vessels at the back of the pancreas.
"If patients complain of persistent indigestion symptoms that normally effective medication hasn't treated after a few weeks, more serious conditions need to be considered and they may need urgent investigations. This could enable them to be diagnosed more quickly - at a stage where surgery is more likely to be an option."

It is really very simple.
Lack of funding = lack of research.
Lack of research = lack of understanding of the condition.
Lack of understanding of the condition = late diagnosis.
Late diagnosis = a poor rate of survival.

It is important not to lose sight of the fact that poor diagnosis and resulting poor rates of survival affects the family, friends and colleagues of the departed. Maggie's loss and tribute to Kevin is a reminder of that :

 ' For my gorgeous husband Kevin: You stared pancreatic cancer firmly in the face and absolutely refused to succumb until it had drained every last ounce of your strength. We are proud of you. Your fight was truly inspirational and I will never cease to be amazed at how you handled the knowledge that pancreatic cancer would, in a relatively short space of time, take your life. You refused to give in and have left us with many, many good memories, particularly your "I'm Still Standing Party" held with all of our family and friends to celebrate outliving the 18 month prognosis! Sadly, the cancer took a firm hold not long after and we had to face the hardest part - letting you go. We did so in the knowledge that you would be at peace and watching over us. Life ends but love is eternal and we carry you with us, in our hearts, wherever we go. Love you and miss you every day. With love always Maggie xxx'

Maggie speaking to ITN : http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/update/2014-01-21/pancreatic-cancer-campaign/

So sign Maggie's petition and spread it to family, friends and colleagues though facebook, twitter and other social media to help Maggie get her 100,000 signatures :

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/48389