Tain author's passionate plea

A TAIN author is to give a talk on one of his passions to help boost research into another matter close to his heart.

Philip Paris will give a talk on Orkney’s famous Italian Chapel as part of a fundraising event for pancreatic cancer research on Saturday, August 6, in the newly opened cafe at The Old School, Beauly.

Philip explained, "My mother died of pancreatic cancer last year so I’m delighted to be involved in this event, talking about one of my great passions in life. Even though pancreatic cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death, there is no test to detect it and people often know very little about the condition."

According to the charity, Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, 95 per cent of men diagnosed with testicular cancer survive five years or more, while the figure for women diagnosed with breast cancer is 80 per cent. For those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this is three per cent — a statistic that has not changed in 40 years.

"My wife is a GP and Catherine will be on hand during the morning to answer any questions people might have about the disease. It should be a tremendous morning, with live music from local musicians, while half of the profits made in the cafe that morning will be added to the fund, so we’re hoping lots of people will come along for a coffee, a slice and a good old blether!"

The shop and cafe open at 10am and the 30-minute talk will begin at 10.30am.

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