London Marathon: Best Wishes!

I'm sure I must know people running in the London Marathon today, so, very best wishes to them and, indeed, all the runners, who annually raise £millions for charity, like my friend Paul, who ran for Macmillan Nurses 4 years ago, in memory of our friend Debbie (blog), and for whom I followed closely writing many blogs that year (eg blog).

Best wishes and congratulations, in advance, to everyone, and if you know anyone who has entered or you did, please feel free to let me know and I'll publicize them/you and the charity for which money was raised, good luck all!

R.I.P. John the Cobbler

Yesterday, sadly, I was told that John the Cobbler had died the day before following his long battle with Cancer. I shall miss walking up the High Street and stopping to chat to John, and I shall miss his humour, eg "Cobblers to the Old Town" being the name he gave his business! The photograph above is of when Paul Denny (Sun Tan) presented John with a Macmillan Nurses certificate as he and his customers and friends had contributed £110 towards Paul's fundraising for Macmillan Nurses, in respect of his running in the London Marathon in honour of another character lost to Hastings the year before, Debbie McSweeney, who had died due to Cancer too (blog).

My thoughts are with his wife, family and friends, R.I.P. John... 😪

The London Marathon and Memories of Friends.

Debbie McSweeney R.I.P.

Memories, eh? It was just a year ago, when Paul Denny completed the London Marathon, despite carrying an injury (blog), ran in honour of Hastings nurse and well-known local character, Debbie, and raised over £1,100 for Macmillan Nurses in Sussex.  

Paul Denny

Different things stimulate our memories, smells, events, dates, whatever... for those running in the London Marathon this year, good luck and best wishes! 

Many thanks Alistar Johnson!

Many thanks to Alistar Johnson for your comment.

'Oh What a Night'

With thanks to Debbie McSweeney's friend, Marie Callaghan...

"On Friday 14th August we held a disco/karaoke fund raising night in memory of Debbie McSweeney. We had a raffle and proceeds were donated to McMillan Cancer Support. We raised £2000, but more than that a great night was had by all. Debbie's sister Caroline and brother Brian were able to attend and lend their support. Debbie was the only person who relocated to Hastings for 20 years but was still able to fill a hall in Glasgow. The night was attended by about 150 people from the Maryhill district in Glasgow, where Debbie was brought up and went to school." 

Debbie would have loved it, nice one Marie, and yet more charity fundraising for MacMillan in honour of a nurse in Hastings, who had many friends and loved life, R.I.P. 

Charity Fundraising Night for Debbie, TONIGHT!

There is a charity fundraising night being held in honour of Debbie's memory up in Glasgow this evening, and one of her sisters and brother, Caroline and Brian, will be there... 

Still gone, but not forgotten! 

Debbie McSweeney R.I.P.

It was a year ago that Debbie, a senior nurse up at the Conquest Hospital, lost her life to cancer, and I have written a few times now about Paul Denny's charity fund raising for Macmillan Nurses, in her memory. 

I am glad I met her, her memory makes me proud to have worked in the NHS, like her, and I'll always remember that she lit up any room she entered. This photograph was taken only a couple of weeks before she died, and she was still radiant... 

Debbie McSweeney R.I.P.  

Macmillan Nurses: Where the donations came from!

You may remember that over the Christmas period, and earlier this year, Paul Denny raised £359.62 for Macmillan Nurses by making homemade pickles and leaving collection boxes at a number of sites, as mentioned in earlier blogs. He since ran the London marathon and raised a further £891.53, thus bringing the total raised to £1,251.15, again blogged about here previously (and don't forget, another £100+ in 'gift aid', so he probably raised over £1400 in total!).  

He took just over 5 hours to complete his 12th marathon; 10 London, 1 New York and the Hastings Marathon in 2008 (only staged every 100 years!). Though not his fastest run in a marathon, taking into account he injured his ankle 2 weeks previous to the race, which prevented him training, and that the same injury reoccurred at the 10 mile mark of the marathon, it was some achievement just to complete the course, so very well done Paul!  

So, where did the extra £891.53 come from? 

  

Well, money raised at John the Cobblers amounted to £110.00, here is Paul presenting John with the certificate from Macmillan Nurses. 

The Dolphin raised a further £62.00. 

The Jenny Lind contributed a further £50.00. 

Together with a little more 'pickle money', the First in Last Out contributed a whopping £669.53 more!  

Debbie McSweeney (1962-2014) R.I.P. 

Macmillan Nurses, London Marathon Donation Forms at...

The shirt that Paul has had Debbie's face printed on for the London Marathon, where he ran in her memory and for Macmillan Nurses, Sussex. As I said before, forms were at various sites around the old town; and they have now been collected in: 

The First In Last Out (FILO), 14-15 High Street.

The Dolphin, 12 Rock-a-Nore Road.

The Jenny Lind, 69 High Street.

And, if you didn't fancy entering a pub, the Old Town Cobblers, 64D High Street. 

Paul is grateful for all the donations made, and confirms that all monies received have now been sent to Macmillan Nurses, Sussex, many thanks! I shall post further when receipts have been received from the charity. 

Debbie McSweeney R.I.P.   

Again, congratulations to Paul!

Again, my congratulations to Paul Denny for raising more than £1,100 for Macmillan Nurses in Sussex, by running the London Marathon, and through collection boxes and sales (as previously explained), in memory of Debbie McSweeney R.I.P. 

   

Well done Paul!

Probably not his fastest time ever, but our warm congratulations to Paul, Debbie would be proud of you, we are mate! 

Good luck to Paul!

My best wishes to Paul Denny when he runs in the London Marathon today, in memory of Debbie McSweeney, and to raise funds for Macmillan Nurses Sussex! 

There is an article in the Hastings Observer this week, well worth the read (see above), and just a reminder that collection boxes, and donation forms for Macmillan Nurses, are placed in the Old Town Cobblers in the High Street, also in the same road, at the Jenny Lind and FILO, at the Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore. 

Al monies raised are going to Macmillan Nurses, Sussex, many thanks... 

Once again, good luck to Paul, and all runners, and all donations welcomed! 

Only 4 days to go!

Only 4 days to go, and Paul will be running/limping/crawling the London Marathon, whatever, he has promised to complete the race, and he's already run well over a dozen marathons in his life, but this one has more importance for him, being in honour of Debbie McSweeney. As I have said before, there are collection boxes/sponsorship forms at the Old Town Cobblers in the High Street, and at 3 pubs, the FILO and Jenny Lind in the High Street, and at the Dolphin at Rock-a-Nore... 

All donations would be much appreciated, with all proceeds going to Macmillan Nurses (Sussex). Latest news on the marathon is at their website.  

Support Macmillan Nurses in Sussex please

In memory of Debbie McSweeney (1962-2014) Paul Denny will be running the London Marathon on 26th April 2015 (website) to raise money for MacMillan Nurses (Sussex - website), having already raised nearly £400, as I have recently mentioned; by the way, a donation box is still in the First in Last Out (FILO), High Street, Hastings old town.

There is also a MacMillan sponsorship form on the notice board at the FILO, please support Paul supporting MacMillan Nurses, in honour of Debbie, many thanks!

There will be more sponsorship forms distributed before the Marathon, which is 2 weeks away now, and I shall advise their whereabouts as I become aware of them...

Macmillan Nurses, Debbie, Paul & the FILO

The first of the acknowledgements from Macmillan Nurses for monies collected by Paul Denny, in the sum of £144.53, and in honour of Debbie McSweeney, was presented by Paul to Mike Bigg, the landlord of the First In Last Out (FILO),  nice one!   

To help build up for the big event, Paul is entered in the Hastings Half Marathon next month, and will be running again, for the charity, ie Macmillan Nurses, on the 26th April in the London Marathon, brave man! Watch out for details of how he may be sponsored... 

Don't forget, in respect of Paul's endeavours, there are still charity boxes for Macmillan Nurses at the FILO, where another batch of his spicy pickled onions are now available (and I've bought another very large jar myself/donated to Macmillan Nurses, that the tingling sensation in my mouth will attest to) and Jenny Lind pubs! 

Update on Debbie's Collection Boxes 2

Paul's work in seeking donations to Macmillan Nurses now includes the box that had been left in the Olde Bell Inn at The Mint in Rye, brought to Hastings. A little over £57 was counted, with some 'coppers' added to another collection box now situated on the bar of the First In Last Out (FILO), High Street, Hastings. This means that, so far, about £360 has now been sent, or about to be sent, to Macmillan Nurses.          

The Olde Bell Inn, The Mint, Rye.

There are still 2 collection boxes, the one at the FILO, and one in the Jenny Lind, also in the High Street in the old town, Hastings. Once we get closer to the London Marathon, I'll provide details should anyone want to sponsor Paul's taking part in his 11th London Marathon, this time in aid of Macmillan Nurses in memory of Debbie McSweeney R.I.P.

Many thanks for all contributions.  

Update on Debbie's collection boxes

Yesterday, we counted up the money that had been donated at the FILO and Anchor Inn to Macmillan Nurses in honour of Debbie McSweeney, as I have already explained. There was a combination of money being placed directly into the collection boxes, and a more significant amount in return for piccalilli and hot spicy pickled onions, as made by her good friend Paul Denny. 

From those 2 pubs, a total of £302.62 was collected, and our thanks goes to all those who contributed. Certificates will be provided by Macmillan Nurses once they receive the money, as appropriate, and these will be presented to the respective pub. 

There is still a collection box at the Jenny Lind in the High Street, and one at the Olde Bell in Rye, should you still wish to donate to Macmillan Nurses in honour of Debbie. These will be collected soon though. 

In addition, Paul will be running in the London Marathon in April, and I believe he will be running for the same charity, I shall keep you informed of his plans plus, of course, of the 2 collection boxes still to be brought in. 

In memory of Debbie McSweeney R.I.P. 

Cheers to Debbie McSweeney!

Cheers to Debbie McSweeney, R.I.P, see previous blog.  

Raising my glass to her honour and memory. It's the traditional Boxing Day meal of cold gammon and bubble & squeak, together with Debbie's special pickles and chutney, payment donated to Macmillan Nurses... 

Debbie McSweeney R.I.P.

Sadly, this year Debbie McSweeney, a senior nurse at the Conquest Hospital, and well known character in Hastings, lost her life to cancer... 

Her good friend, Paul Denny, has placed jars of his own home-made piccalilli and pickled onions, together with charity boxes for Macmillan Nurses (website), in the First In Last Out, Jenny Lind and Anchor in Hastings, and the Olde Bell in Rye. 

If people would like to donate to this worthy charity, in her memory, and, as I shall, raise a glass to her memory when I open the jars on St Stephens Day, for which I have already donated money at the FILO, please join with me. 

Debbie McSweeney  R.I.P.