Life After Cancer Essex aims to offer people with cancer something different.
Something ‘outdoors’ where people can take in some fresh air, where they can conduct some ‘exercise’, appreciate the wildlife and plants whilst walking and talking in a safe environment.
Joining me today to tell us all about it was Steve Hammond from Life After Cancer Essex.
Steve Hammond
Steve’s wife Jo was diagnosed with stage 3 bladder cancer at the early age of 49. Jo became the founder of Lace when she wanted to help others going through a similar journey. Sadly Jo lost her battle with cancer almost exactly 2 years ago. Steve is carrying on Jo’s work.
You can listen to our chat here –
Can you help Lace? Would you like to get involved? You can contact Lace here –
Donations can be made by bank transfer to
The Co-operative Bank
LACE CIC
6726265800
08-92-99
And Steve is going on a fundraising bike challenge when he cycles over 200 miles from Hunstanton to Coggeshall
Steve’s Justgiving page is here
Also on the show today –
An Essex man believes he may have grown the tallest artichoke plant in the world
High Street in Brentwood is set to be closed for more than a month as part of gas works.
Eight days after his death, Ozzy Osbourne made his final journey through his home city of Birmingham
Today’s Birthdays
1947 – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, and politician, 38th Governor of California
1958 – Kate Bush, English singer-songwriter and producer
Martin’s Choice – This week I’m going to feature British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, formed in London in 1967 by singer Peter Green who named the band by combining the surnames of drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie who have remained with the band throughout its many line-up changes.
Fleetwood Mac have sold more than 120 million records worldwide, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands.
Peter Green left the band in May 1970 and McVie’s wife, Christine McVie joined as an official member on vocals and keyboards two months later, having previously contributed to the band as a session musician.
The band had other singers and musicians join over the next few years but By the end of 1974, these members had all departed which left the band without a guitarist and male singer. While Mick Fleetwood was scouting studios in Los Angeles, he heard the American folk rock duo Buckingham Nicks consisting of guitarist and singer Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks. In December 1974, he asked Buckingham to join Fleetwood Mac, with Buckingham agreeing on the condition that Nicks could also join.
The addition of Buckingham and Nicks gave the band a more pop rock sound, and their 1975 album Fleetwood Mac topped the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. Their next album, Rumours released in 1977 reached number one in multiple countries around the world and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
The band went on to make more albums in the future years but it’s well documented that whilst they were making the Rumours album they all underwent relationship issues which was a troubled time for them all but somehow it was reflected in the songs they wrote for the album.
There are no fillers on this album every song Is a great song and a hit in its own right.
The song I’m going to request was written by Christine McVie who had married John McVie some years earlier but were both going through a breakdown in their relationship. She wrote the song about John McVie.
It’s a great song, one of many that she wrote for the band unfortunately She passed away in 2022 but she leaves behind a great legacy.
Again I’ve only brushed over this bands history, there have been books written about the group which are all a great read.
My song request is “Songbird ” from the album Rumours By Christine McVie. They say that she’d perform this song at the end of Fleetwood Macs shows and there wasn’t a dry eye left in the house after.
You can listen to the whole show here – 
