Thanks To

Butter Side Up!

Ok so you’ve been dealt a pretty crap hand, it’s not fair, you don’t deserve it but what do you do? I suppose there are many ways to deal with the hard knocks, everyone is different thank goodness but until this ordeal is over every time I drop it my toast lands….

John, Jane, Lydia & Miriam Widdowson (Click pic to enlarge)

You can LEAVE A COMMENT HERE or email Jane or myself at

john@johnwiddowson.com or jane@johnwiddowson.com

Well this list is just going to grow and grow I know it! In no particular order, just as I recall the events, here are some of the people that have either shown compassion, sympathy, given advice or practical help, prayed for me or just took the mickey!

To my close friends

Helen & Andy Moorhouse

Lynne & Darren Lockhart

Emma & Dave Hammersley (Emma is also a former cancer patient)

They help in their own ways, Dave will accompany me to Chemotherapy, he has done in the past with Emma and knows what its about.

Darren will provide distraction with jobs to do on my bike, his buggy and the trike project. Whatever I can manage even if its just passing tools and making the tea.

Andy who will take the mick and make jokes but I know he always means well and would do anything for me.

Helen, Lynne & Emma who will take care of Jane and the kids.

As long as no-one runs away and hides from me or Jane I’m not bothered how they deal with it.

Text Box: To colleagues at work, Rob Staley in particular, he sits opposite me and has, for the past three months, listened to me banging on about myself and my problems when I’m sure he’s had better things to do. Similar for Dan Smith who’s close friend succumbed to similar cancer recently and who was shocked at the diagnosis, he’ll carry some of the workload while I’m off work - thanks Dan! To Gill Gittins and Fiona Wain who were both my early confidants and both kept me focused at work, Gill by moaning about the performance of my staff and Fiona by well just ‘keeping my pecker up’!

My personal medical team and bus buddies Sarah Gregory and Liz Wing, both ‘medical professionals’ who travel on the 21 bus from Ilkeston to Nottingham. Sarah in particular has listened to my tales of woe and been a great comfort. We’ve never socialised or even met other than on the bus. I’ve know Liz’s sister since I was at Junior school but only recently made the connection. I’m not sure how much they contributed to moving my diagnosis along as neither ever ‘spoke out of school’. If they did then I’m even more indebted to them. Anyway I think they both fancy me!

Text Box: To those old friends who I really don’t keep in touch with as much as I should, time is always so scarce, and who rally round when it gets tough. Especially Mick Bobeszko for his offers of practical help in the garden

Thanks for all the cards and messages and prayers said by all the family friends on both sides. All the kind thoughts have been for all of us, not just me, which is reassuring that Jane will have many places to turn for help if she needs it.

Text Box: Thanks to Andrew Waldron and Denise Wells, the Head Teachers at the girls’ schools, for the offers of support for the girls and for Jane in getting over small but significant tasks such as keeping the girls in school, before or after normal hours and offers of shopping, gardening and car washing etc. Denise is also a former

To all the virtual strangers who have offered their support as someone removed from the family emotion as a shoulder to cry on or a vent for anger and frustration. Notably Tom McQuiggan who I have never met but just chatted to on emails regarding the rebuild of my Super Dream.

Well I had to get it in somewhere!

Text Box: Many thanks to all the staff on Simpson 2 at Nottingham City Hospital from 16 to 20 Mar 09. I won’t single anyone out as they were all genuine caring people. Just to say that I include all the nursing,

Finished my first nine weeks of Chemotherapy so I must say a big thank you to all the staff at the Chemotherapy Clinic 1st Floor South at The City Hospital especially to Cathy, Abbey and Debora S but everyone there has been great, well I do have to go back again don’t I!