Well and Truly Caught Out

This blog edition is dedicated to all of the amazing Women recognised at this year's Merseyside Women of The Year Awards, also to the memory of the late Bernie Singleton & our very own Julie Shute

 

It’s the little things in life that often mean the most to us and in the last week this has proved to be so for me.

Firstly it’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since Julie was at the Merseyside Women of The Year Awards but it is, her runners up award still proudly adorns her chest of drawers in ‘The Green Room’, formerly our bedroom, this recognition of her endeavours to help others so selflessly by her charity fundraising and the blog and supporting Clatterbridge by allowing her operation procedure to be filmed I was so proud of her and of course that day was so special for many reasons but it was hectic for me.

 

A few months back Jean Gadsby of The Merseyside Women of The Year Awards emailed me inviting me to attend this year’s awards ceremony. I was truly flattered, it was explained the organisers, Jean, Ellie Kerr & Elaine Owen had recognised how I hadn’t really had time to enjoy the ceremony last year as it was obvious to them that my focus was Julie so they thought it would be nice for me to be here to enjoy this year’s awards. I hadn’t really thought about it at the time or since until this conversation and then when I reflected back, a significant amount of time was given over to doing what I did and that was making sure Julie was looked after and having a great time. When I look back yes of course I sat down and watched the awards and all of the amazing women being recognised for their selfless actions but from the time the private ambulance and crew brought Julie in on a stretcher to hoisting her into the air in a large but compact disabled loo swapping the stretcher for her chair and lowering her into position then protecting her modesty and keeping her dignity intact to getting her into the room where she met all of the surprise guests, she was aware of Maureen & I Karen & Louise from Clatterbridge & John and Sarah Burns, but Hannah, Collette and June Bernicoff were all a surprise. Getting Julie settled into place, speaking with the paramedics to keep them on hand ‘just in case’ liaising with the hotel staff so we could use Julie’s cutlery and her drinks beaker. Cutting up Julie’s food for her, reassuring her and whilst only those on the table noticed Julie started to have a seizure. Thankfully the lorazepam were with me and two small tablets later and a lot of comforting and our distraction routine and it slipped away mainly unnoticed by most. A trip to the loo for her too, again it meant the assistance of the Paramedics and us using the hoist to get her out of the chair safely onto the loo and then back into the chair, it was focussed attention but Julie came first. She smiled and laughed so much that day, given she only got out of the house three times after that this was a most special day.

So,  Friday 24^th June and I decided not to drive this year, I don’t drink much mainly because when out I’m driving and my job depends on my driving licence, I usually just have a glass of wine or a pint of beer and then switch to soft drinks. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy a good drink occasionally but I learnt a long time ago that hangovers are not good for you so I’m normally the ‘sensible one’, that said, I only ever saw Julie drunk twice which we laughed about afterwards, I’ll share the detail another time but we had a work hard play hard and fun mentality and that didn’t need alcohol to make it fun.  As usual I’ve digressed! I took a cab and then a train into Liverpool.

Entering the Crowne Plaza I saw Jean and we exchanged greetings, I thanked her for the invite. Jean explained she had put me on a table that comprised a lady called Roz Tranfield, some of her guests several including Roz were either in remission from Cancer or were still being treated at Clatterbridge. Talking of Clatterbridge Elspeth Wilson from The Clatterbridge Cancer Charity was on the table too. Although I’d never met Roz before today as I knew she and another  Clatterbridge fundraiser the amazing Dorothy Beattie were both nominated for The Leonard Curtis sponsored ‘Women Making a Difference Award’, this was the ‘mirror award’ to which Julie and Bernie (Bucket) Singleton were nominated last year. On the announcement of the finalists I put my weight behind both ladies in asking for votes but with only one vote I went with Roz for she lives on the peninsula too.

It was nice to be on a table with ‘like-minded’ friends. Lunch as ever was superb and our compere  was again the amazingly witty Pauline Daniels, no subject is safe when Pauline is on form tears of laughter are guaranteed. In this role Pauline is perfect for like any comedienne and actress

she has a sharp wit and retort to hand and she ‘took no prisoners’ when having been informed as part of her housekeeping speech at the start to ensure phones were switched off or there would be £20 fines for non-compliance. Two people were fined but as Pauline rightly pointed out “It’s not about the money, it’s about having respect for the award finalists and not detracting from them”…  Pauline had taken a shine to the invited guest & recently announced

new ‘Cadbury’s Milk Tray Man’, Liverpool fireman, Patrick McBride. We other men stood no chance today; it’s fair to say the banter was good.

 

Last Year’s Merseyside Woman of The Year and now friend Angela Samata shared her year long experience, one of the highlights of her year was she was nominated for a BAFTA, she also had the other women in the room slightly jealous when she explained after the BAFTA ceremony another attendee offered to walk her back to their hotel however as the party was still on Angela declined only to discover later the gentleman in question was the infamous chest baring Poldark actor Aidan Turner!  

After a fantastic lunch the Awards ceremony began.  We had a programme before us and I flicked through mine to find out about all of the lovely finalists to discover a page entitled ‘Celebrating & Remembering’ it featured Bernie Singleton & Julie, it recognised their contributions and their loss to the Merseyside Woman of the Year ‘Family’ it was such a surprise and so touching to see the tribute it quite literally brought me to tears.

As the award category Roz & Dorothy were in came up our table erupted as Roz was announced the winner, these are spine tingling times and of course bring back memories of last year.  As the stunning Roz returned to us with her award we all congratulated her, she was rightly ecstatic.

Although my phone had its volume turned off as phones are cameras and a multi-media device these days I’d kept mine on and was doing my bit to support the MWOTY team and tweet every possible moment, those of you that use twitter will understand what a powerful tool it can be to profile raise and highlight events, trends are picked up for the more higher profile events and it turned out the team effort had made MWOTY the second highest topic on Twitter, given ‘we’ as a nation that morning had voted ourselves out of Europe and ‘Brexit’ was the top trend. As I enjoyed a drink with the media team later they joked they struggled to keep up with my barrage of tweets so they could share them too.  There is a point to this I promise.

As the ceremony continued I’d glance up I’d listen to the Winner speeches and take pictures and tweet them. I looked up and saw the next category appear, ‘Best Supporting Male’ I glanced at it and then looked down at my phone screen still tweeting then thought “Did I just hear my name?”,  I looked up and as our table erupted in screams and cheers I saw my name on the large stage screens! It took a couple of seconds to sink in and it was only the amount of people rising to their feet that shocked me into the reality of the situation, as I stood up Elspeth hugged me, another guest on the table another  Andy shook my hand and I realised I had to head to the stage,  walking through a room full of standing applauding people for only the second time in my life is humbling, as I headed for the stage Angela Samata was in front of me grinning she hugged me, congratulated me and whispered, “it was such an obvious choice for us”, Angela had been part of this year’s Judging panel, I told her she was naughty, she explained she’d been avoiding me so as not give the surprise away. I made my way onto the stage and was presented with my award by Pauline McNamara of

Cassell Moore Solicitors who had kindly sponsored this award. Pauline Daniels explained to the audience who I was and why I was up here. With a Pauline either side of me we were photographed & Pauline Daniels invited me to say a few words. With not knowing I was going to be standing here until two minutes ago I had nothing prepared but thankfully I’ve presented to audiences large and small and can as we say ‘think on my feet’, my opening words were “I’ve been stitched up, well and truly stitched up!” I laughed and explained how I’d been invited along on the grounds of having not had the chance to enjoy last year’s awards ceremony…  I think I uttered the words I will get you back ladies… This was an opportunity to tell this year’s audience a bit about Julie and her journey, how despite knowing she was dying was standing in the pouring rain at Hoylake Railway station at the British Open Golf Championship collecting for Clatterbridge, I mentioned how I’d lost Julie last September and how I had reunited our wedding ring jewellery and that they are always with me, I added that I hoped Julie was still with us today if only in spirit and that I knew she would be incredibly proud of this year’s finalists. I picked up my award and explained how much it meant to me to be the recipient and then headed back through the new standing ovation. I’d heard the words several times today from winners that they didn’t feel what they were doing was worthy of an award, I knew exactly what they meant though. Not one finalist in the room today did the amazing things they did for the glory or recognition, they do

Jean, Elaine & Ellie

it because it’s the right thing for them to do, this so resonates for me. Surely what I did for Julie was the same as any other loving husband would do for their so precious wife?  Back at our table the atmosphere was electric and Roz and I were photographed with both of our awards. I was elated and stunned; this award is such a fantastic honour.  I realised there hadn’t been a recipient last year this made it being in my arms feel even more special. It takes a lot to hoodwink me, one of my favourite expressions is “You’ll have to get up early in a morning to catch me out”! I was truly; well and truly caught out today. I saw Jean, Ellie and Elaine after the final awards; they were like schoolgirls who had just pranked a fellow pupil, these ladies are so special on many fronts and I now very much feel part of this amazing ‘family’.

You would think that was enough excitement for one day, then Michael Halsall the primary sponsor of the awards ceremony took to the stage to announce this year’s runners up and the Winner of The Merseyside Woman of The Year Award, Roz was announced as the winner, our table just erupted, it was incredible the elation as she hugged her friends to her left, then her boyfriend Paddy & then their dear friend Andrew. This was draining and I think only the adrenalin was keeping us going. Elspeth commented how amazing that we had three awards, yes three awards on our table and all associated to Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, these are humbling times…  Roz returned to the table where we all shared a hug with her. Roz herself is a survivor of Cancer, breast cancer, the scourge of mainly women (but men can get Breast Cancer too), as a beautiful former model I can but envisage how devastating this must have been

but treatment at Clatterbridge has sent her beast in to remission. Most would have just been grateful for the outcome but Roz similar to Julie wanted to do more, Roz started mentoring and supporting other patients, she also set about fundraising and held a cat walk fashion show where all models had been associated with cancer as part of a fund raising drive. Roz has raised over £30,000 so far and I’m pretty certain she has not stopped. She is shortly to do a charity night ride, I am genuinely touched by this lady. For the likes of Julie, Roz & Dorothy who collectively have contributed over £300,000, Dorothy has been absolutely outstanding with so far raising over £200,000! Her fundraising to date has contributed to a conservatory being built next to the out-patient’s department at Clatterbridge plus a fleet of cars so the specialist nurses can administer some patient’s Chemotherapy in their own homes.  Amazing selfless women, Amazing….

Merseyside Women of The Year 2016