This month we had the sad news that John Burston had passed away at the age of 81. John acted as Chairman at the Bolton group for many years, offering support to anyone affected by prostate cancer and adding to the success of the group.

Away from Bolton Prostate Cancer Support group, we knew little about John and it was only at his funeral that we heard more about his life as head coach at Bury Cycle Speedway, his love of cycling, running and motorbikes. His dedication encouraged young and old to follow their passion for this sport. John’s funeral was attended by some 150 enthusiasts and on his final journey John travelled by a Triumph motorcycle converted to a hearse.

One final note – although John did not have prostate cancer but an enlarged prostate, his commitment to the Bolton Cancer Support Group was without equal.

The Prostate Cancer Support Group at Bolton also said their goodbyes to another member of the group, Clifford Ashworth. Cliff was 95 years old and regularly attended the monthly meetings (chauffeured by Brian, our secretary). Cliff brought a positivity and support to the group and was a well-respected member always having a story to tell either about prostate cancer or his life experiences.

Cliff led a full and varied life. Before his retirement, he was the deputy head at Elton School in Bury specialising in Maths. He was a life-long member of Bury Football Club, a member of the Ramblers Association and was a cricket umpire for the Lancashire League for 40 years, only retiring at the age of 82 following an injury ! We rarely heard the end to Cliff’s stories as he would be “timed out” by Close of Play.

We will all miss you both.

This information was kindly provided by Dorothy Sugden from the Bolton Support Group.