In over six years of attempting various tasks to try and raise mental health awareness, I can count on the fingers of one hand the times when two challenges were completed on the same day, but the first day of February was very different…
The day started (or maybe the previous day finished) with the conclusion of Dry January. I thought that a month without an occasional bottle of chilled Albariño might make me feel better, sleep better, weigh less…
But in truth it did none of those things.
However, with the year’s challenges being based around the 50km indoor row in May, it did help my training get off to a really good start; and I actually found it just as easy to deal with a difficult day by doing an hour’s exercise rather than reaching for the wine glass.
Elaine and I had been looking forward to the new month, not just because of the end of the self-enforced alcohol abstention, but also because we had tickets to go and see the Kay Mellor play “Band of Gold” at Darlington Hippodrome.
The cast contained a host of well-known faces from the world of television serial drama; and with part of this year’s challenges including revisiting 10 of the original 100, the afternoon presented a possible opportunity to meet someone who had (in no particular order): had a top ten single, had a no.1 single, appeared in Coronation Street, or featured in another “soap opera”.
Interestingly, Shayne Ward (who played Inspector Newall) could single-handedly tick off all four challenges, but I had another reason for hoping to see Shayne…
Back in 2017, Elaine and I had been lucky enough to be invited to the working Coronation Street set in Salford. We were given a tour of the external and internal sets, spent an enjoyable half an hour in the company of Connor McIntyre (Pat Phelan), and saw numerous other familiar faces – in fact, Elaine’s first words as we drove into the compound were: “Ooh, there’s Norris!”
Soon after we arrived, we were asked if there was anyone we particularly wanted to meet … and Elaine immediately replied: “Shayne Ward”.
Well that was the first I’d heard of it!
As it turned out, we had missed him by no more than 15 minutes, but two-and-a-bit years later, Elaine and Shayne were going to be in the same place at the same time; the perfect chance to try and repeat the “organise a surprise” challenge (which had originally involved getting all my Mum’s grandchildren together for the very first time on her 80th birthday back in 2018).
The other reason for wanting to do something for Elaine was far more personal. She went through a really tough and worrying time a few months ago. Very few people know, and I’m not going to go elaborate … suffice to say every day with Elaine is precious, and I remain blessed to be sharing my life with her.
So, I decided to write to Shayne, give a bit of background about the challenges, mention our trip to “Weatherfield”, and explain why I wanted to surprise Elaine. As well as that, given the mental health message behind my challenges, it was important to both congratulate and thank Shayne on his wonderful and moving portrayal of Aidan Connor in the weeks leading up to his character’s suicide in 2018…
Obviously I didn’t know Shayne and had no right to expect any sort of reply, but after the matinée performance, we strolled round to the stage door “just in case” – and after a quick chat and photo with the lovely Gaynor Faye, Shayne appeared…
There were maybe a dozen or so people milling around, and I happened to be fairly close to the door, so I took a deep breath, said hello and mentioned the letter. Shayne simply said “Richard!” and offered his hand. He explained that he’d checked the letter to make sure which performance we were attending, and had made a point of popping outside to see if Elaine was there…
By now, Elaine had twigged that I must have tried to contact Shayne; and I’m so glad I did. Despite only having a short break between two two-hour shows, Shayne had taken the time to not only read the letter, but go out of his way to come and meet Elaine. She was almost speechless (result!), and it was just lovely to see Shayne have a quick chat with Elaine, pose for a couple of photos and give her a big hug. Elaine was thrilled, and it just made my day to see her so happy – thank you so much Shayne.
I had a quick photo taken as well … but then I had to decide which challenge to tick off.
In the end, I plumped for “meeting someone who has had a no.1 single”. Shayne won The X-Factor in 2005, and “That’s My Goal” topped the charts in December of that year, becoming the third-fastest selling UK single of all time in the process. How impressive is that?!
The “meet a Coronation Street actor” challenge had already been accomplished with the brief chat and photo with Gaynor Faye, who played the ill-fated Judy Mallett between 1995 and 1999. Several years ago, I wrote a book about all the Corrie barmaids, which included an interview with Gaynor’s on-screen mother Anita Carey (who played Joyce Smedley); and the interesting (well I think it’s interesting) fact about the two characters is that they were first mother and daughter to both work behind the bar in the Rovers Return…
Gaynor subsequently joined Emmerdale (as Megan Macey), but I must admit it’s been a while since I’ve watched the programme … I didn’t even realise Amos and Mr Wilks were no longer running The Woolpack!
Once again, even though there wasn’t much time between performances, Gaynor spoke to everyone who was waiting outside the stage door, asking if they’d enjoyed the play, and happily posing for pictures. She was so warm and friendly, and as the photo shows, she also looks amazing. Only six years separate us in real life, but the camera is telling me in no uncertain terms that the gap looks nearer to 20 years.
As for the play; well it was brilliantly-written and all the main protagonists were superb, but I have to mention Emma Osman (who played Carol). I must admit to not knowing her beforehand – and I apologise for my ignorance – but she gave a fantastic performance and has natural comic timing. A great show … as good as any stage play I have seen; you should definitely get tickets if you get the chance.
These blogs always end with a similar message. The reason I have attempted over 100 challenges is to show that it is okay to talk openly about mental health; and it is equally fine to ask for help if you are struggling.
For me, there has always been a powerful link between asking for help with a challenge and seeking help and support with your mental health – both can possibly lead to widely differing, but incredibly positive outcomes. So to Gaynor and to Shayne, thank you so much for taking the time to make a difference – it was a pleasure to meet you both.
The day started (or maybe the previous day finished) with the conclusion of Dry January. I thought that a month without an occasional bottle of chilled Albariño might make me feel better, sleep better, weigh less…
But in truth it did none of those things.
However, with the year’s challenges being based around the 50km indoor row in May, it did help my training get off to a really good start; and I actually found it just as easy to deal with a difficult day by doing an hour’s exercise rather than reaching for the wine glass.
Elaine and I had been looking forward to the new month, not just because of the end of the self-enforced alcohol abstention, but also because we had tickets to go and see the Kay Mellor play “Band of Gold” at Darlington Hippodrome.
The cast contained a host of well-known faces from the world of television serial drama; and with part of this year’s challenges including revisiting 10 of the original 100, the afternoon presented a possible opportunity to meet someone who had (in no particular order): had a top ten single, had a no.1 single, appeared in Coronation Street, or featured in another “soap opera”.
Interestingly, Shayne Ward (who played Inspector Newall) could single-handedly tick off all four challenges, but I had another reason for hoping to see Shayne…
Back in 2017, Elaine and I had been lucky enough to be invited to the working Coronation Street set in Salford. We were given a tour of the external and internal sets, spent an enjoyable half an hour in the company of Connor McIntyre (Pat Phelan), and saw numerous other familiar faces – in fact, Elaine’s first words as we drove into the compound were: “Ooh, there’s Norris!”
Soon after we arrived, we were asked if there was anyone we particularly wanted to meet … and Elaine immediately replied: “Shayne Ward”.
Well that was the first I’d heard of it!
As it turned out, we had missed him by no more than 15 minutes, but two-and-a-bit years later, Elaine and Shayne were going to be in the same place at the same time; the perfect chance to try and repeat the “organise a surprise” challenge (which had originally involved getting all my Mum’s grandchildren together for the very first time on her 80th birthday back in 2018).
The other reason for wanting to do something for Elaine was far more personal. She went through a really tough and worrying time a few months ago. Very few people know, and I’m not going to go elaborate … suffice to say every day with Elaine is precious, and I remain blessed to be sharing my life with her.
So, I decided to write to Shayne, give a bit of background about the challenges, mention our trip to “Weatherfield”, and explain why I wanted to surprise Elaine. As well as that, given the mental health message behind my challenges, it was important to both congratulate and thank Shayne on his wonderful and moving portrayal of Aidan Connor in the weeks leading up to his character’s suicide in 2018…
Obviously I didn’t know Shayne and had no right to expect any sort of reply, but after the matinée performance, we strolled round to the stage door “just in case” – and after a quick chat and photo with the lovely Gaynor Faye, Shayne appeared…
There were maybe a dozen or so people milling around, and I happened to be fairly close to the door, so I took a deep breath, said hello and mentioned the letter. Shayne simply said “Richard!” and offered his hand. He explained that he’d checked the letter to make sure which performance we were attending, and had made a point of popping outside to see if Elaine was there…
By now, Elaine had twigged that I must have tried to contact Shayne; and I’m so glad I did. Despite only having a short break between two two-hour shows, Shayne had taken the time to not only read the letter, but go out of his way to come and meet Elaine. She was almost speechless (result!), and it was just lovely to see Shayne have a quick chat with Elaine, pose for a couple of photos and give her a big hug. Elaine was thrilled, and it just made my day to see her so happy – thank you so much Shayne.
I had a quick photo taken as well … but then I had to decide which challenge to tick off.
In the end, I plumped for “meeting someone who has had a no.1 single”. Shayne won The X-Factor in 2005, and “That’s My Goal” topped the charts in December of that year, becoming the third-fastest selling UK single of all time in the process. How impressive is that?!
The “meet a Coronation Street actor” challenge had already been accomplished with the brief chat and photo with Gaynor Faye, who played the ill-fated Judy Mallett between 1995 and 1999. Several years ago, I wrote a book about all the Corrie barmaids, which included an interview with Gaynor’s on-screen mother Anita Carey (who played Joyce Smedley); and the interesting (well I think it’s interesting) fact about the two characters is that they were first mother and daughter to both work behind the bar in the Rovers Return…
Gaynor subsequently joined Emmerdale (as Megan Macey), but I must admit it’s been a while since I’ve watched the programme … I didn’t even realise Amos and Mr Wilks were no longer running The Woolpack!
Once again, even though there wasn’t much time between performances, Gaynor spoke to everyone who was waiting outside the stage door, asking if they’d enjoyed the play, and happily posing for pictures. She was so warm and friendly, and as the photo shows, she also looks amazing. Only six years separate us in real life, but the camera is telling me in no uncertain terms that the gap looks nearer to 20 years.
As for the play; well it was brilliantly-written and all the main protagonists were superb, but I have to mention Emma Osman (who played Carol). I must admit to not knowing her beforehand – and I apologise for my ignorance – but she gave a fantastic performance and has natural comic timing. A great show … as good as any stage play I have seen; you should definitely get tickets if you get the chance.
These blogs always end with a similar message. The reason I have attempted over 100 challenges is to show that it is okay to talk openly about mental health; and it is equally fine to ask for help if you are struggling.
For me, there has always been a powerful link between asking for help with a challenge and seeking help and support with your mental health – both can possibly lead to widely differing, but incredibly positive outcomes. So to Gaynor and to Shayne, thank you so much for taking the time to make a difference – it was a pleasure to meet you both.