Harold Doherty

This is me with my Dad when we lived in Manchester. I'm not sure where it was, but I can still fit into those satin pants (not really). Looking at this picture, I can see more than a slight resemblance between me at that age, and my son, Rufus - lucky him!

I have always been grateful to St.Margarets for the care and attention they gave my Father during his illness, and the manner in which they allowed a proud man to retain his dignity throughout a treatment that worked very hard to strip it away. Their services didn't stop at my Father though: in addition to the palliative care they gave him both as an out-patient and ultimately as in-patient, the hospice provided invaluable emotional and therapeutic care to our Family. My Mother now counts as friends the people that helped her through those difficult days.

I now have a family of my own and see myself in my Fathers' role. I often think how he would have loved to have met my wife Carolina, my daughter Maria-Mercedes and my son Rufus. I know he would have been mighty proud of them all. This charitable effort is my way of finally saying thank you to the people who cared and keep on caring, at St.Margarets. I am sure that the money we raise together will allow more people to gain access to the high quality care and attention they need from St.Margarets, at the time when they need it.

This one is taken in Queens Drive, Heaton Mersey, Stockport - dig those haircuts. The dog was called Bambi and I seem to recall had a dirty bum. I remember my Dad and Granddad taking a huge tree out of this front garden and building the wall that my Dad and I are standing in front of.

That wall is still there today, 35 years later!