O u t l o o k


H o w c a n c e r — m a n L a u r i e i s


r e p a y i n g h i s d e b t


. Laurie covers every non-medical facet of the Hospice Care project and appeal; its successes and problems, fundraising, Homecare and Daycare centre Volun­ teers; the happiness of staff, helpers and patients; the dedicated work of the com­ munity and specialist professionals help­ ing local cancer patients. And he tells of the great support given to his wife and himself, in their own emotional trauma. Laurie has always enjoyed writing on


S INCE December, the Burnley Express and Leader/Times series have printed a regular column by a 63 years young man, Laurie Cox, Can­ cer Patient, Trawden.


behalf of “really worthy causes”, hut declares that he was “very shy as a youngster”. However, in his mid-twen­ ties he stood up in a public meeting in the small Sussex town where he and his wife, Kathleen, had bought their first house: to his own surprise he spoke strongly against what he considered to be a grave community injustice. Apparently, the packed hall agreed.


Two monthly meetings later he was elected vice-chairman and then chairman, helping build a Ratepayers’ Association to great act ivity and over 1,000 members. In one case he was asked to address the


L A U R I E C O X h a s m a d e h i m ­ s e l f a h o u s e h o l d n a m e a r o u n d B u r n l e y a n d P e n d l e . H e r e w e r e v e a l t h a t c a m p a i g n e r


t h i s i n d e f a t i g a b l e f o r


t h e B u r n l e y


a n d P e n d l e H o s p i c e A p p e a l i s a c a n c e r s u f f e r e r h i m s e l f .


cause of other cancer patients. A few months later, she asked him to


talk to Hospice Volunteers in training, as a cancer patient, “shooting from the hip” to help them maximise the emotional and practical support they could offer patients and carers.


repeats it to each new group; he has recorded a tape which is used extensively in training nurses and others, all over the area. Then he was asked to tell his story and


This was a success and he not only


(this autumn they hope to celebrate their 40th anniversary), he spent the next ten years in North Devon as a licensee; and established an award-winning restaurant in their 1675 beamed and stone-flagged pub in a village near Combe Martin, before moving back to the South-East. They bought a ‘system-built’ house in


major town fayre and carnival; attracting thousands from all over the Sout East - and radio and TV news coverage. As MC he introduced, on local stages, many top stage, screen and radio stars of the late Fifties; Frankie Vaughan; Julie Christie; of Dr. Zhivago fame; William Hartnell, the first ‘Dr Who’; top comedian of the day, Jimmy Wheeler; the great Elsie & Doris Waters (Gert & Daisy); and many others.


But, as his career progressed into han­ dling international advertising clients, he just got asked to help promote even big­


ger projects; including helping raise world-wide funds to build a new church in Central London, under the auspices of


' “ - .. t & y 'n


Transport Tribunal in one of London’s Inns of Court. “I was almost the only person in the huge hall without a legal wig - there were literally dozens of them”. But he helped win a rare fare increase reprieve for season-ticket holders against British Rail. For 10 years, he helped organise a


tion for the house. As they knew this area well, and had relations here, they decided to become “Offcumdens” and set­ tled in Trawden. After just over a year, Laurie was diagnosed as having cancer and, within days, had major surgery in Burnley Gen­ eral Hospital. Given only a small chance of full recovery in the long-term, his future is still uncertain. “But then,” he says, “whose future is certain?” During his early weeks back home, his


district nurse recommended that both he and Kathleen could benefit from counsel­ ling by the Macmillan specialist Cancer Relief nurses. Kathleen always says that “from the


day Macmillan Nurse Carole Bridge came into our lives, Laurie started getting better”. He promised Carole that, if he reco­


vered sufficiently, he would help her in any way his experience could benefit the


Essex. In a way prophetically, within two years, along with dozens of others, it was declared to have ‘Concrete cancer’. Laurie recalls, “We couldn’t stay, we couldn’t sell.” Eventually, they got their compensa­


of advertising” illness forced him to give up his job, by then as a director of a Lon­ don ad’ agency. It was Laurie’s first ‘Health Warning’. With the help of his wife, Kathleen,


the Cardinal Archbisop of Westminster. After over 25 years in the “hairy world


describe his attitude in the BBC TV series “Fight Cancer”. Later, he was approached by the


column.


Hospice Care appeal and went on to write and design much of the publicity for the appeal. The came his idea for a Hospice


he replied that there were two basic reasons. “It takes my mind off my own fears and forces me to think positively. Others should try it, if they can. On the other side of the coin, I hope that I can get people thinking and talking more about cancer. This must, I feel, lead to greater overall awareness of what needs to be, and can be done, to create new facilities and much needed support and relief both for cancer patients and their hard-pressed carers.” He sums up; “In the case of cancer,


When we asked Laurie why he does it,


more talking means less fear, and more action”. Anyone who has followed his tireless


work in helping to promote and raise money for the Burnley and Pendle Hospice Appeal will realise that those are no idle words, q


1 T r e a s u r e s o f T o w n e l e y


THIS might be a treasure of Towneley, but you probably wouldn’t describe it as that if one was to turn up in your garden.


just one of the many interesting things to be seen at the Natural History Centre, next to Burnley’s Towneley Hall Museum and Art Gallery.


Because this is a wasp nest and it’s


nest without its occupants will soon make you realise what a wonderful structure it is.


Definitely worth buzzing along there for a look, in fact!


But given the chance to inspect the


- /S * C T Laurie with his wife Kathleen (left) and Macmillan Nurse Carole Bridge


Silver Cross • Bebecar• Maclaren*Bebe Contort, Mama's and Papa's • Eichhorn • Merrybabe /


Open: Wed., Thurs., Fri., 10 a:m. - 3 p.m. Saturday 10 a.pn. - 4 p.m.


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