From onesies to gladrags, they wore it all for breast cancer
Organised by long-term member Maureen Le Du, the evening raised more than £6,000 towards a £90,000 faxitron for Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, which tells surgeons as they operate whether they have removed all the cancer, meaning the two-week wait for test results could be a thing of the past.
Modelling ranges from John Lewis, the members - Mary Froude, Ali Luke, Barbara Huff, Nita Hansen, Ann Gain, Liz Magurn, Karen Jackson, Lesley Brewer, Naomi Firth, Julia Bowrey, Marnie Houslip, Sheila Hughes, Tara Patel, Wendy Farrel, Emma Fraybe and Pat Arrowsmith - donned everything from onesies to evening wear, and some even dared to bare in lingerie, in front of an audience of friends, family and supporters at the Regency Park Hotel, Thatcham.
Mrs Le Du said that the aim of the event, the group’s fourth fashion show to date, was to raise awareness of the group, as well as show everyone “that here we all are, surviving breast cancer with a sense of humour”.
The women were joined on stage by soldiers from the The Royal School of Military Survey, Denison Barracks, Hermitage, who went down very well with the audience as they strutted their stuff to hits such as I Like the Way You Move and Grease Lightning, kitted out in a variety of outfits, including as basketball players and rockers.
But stealing the show was 82-year-old Barbara Huff, who was only diagnosed in September, and who won herself an army of fans as she told the boys to ‘Hit the Road, Jack’ dressed as a biker chick, and stripped down to a bathing suit in the beachwear section.
The evening started with a champagne reception, goody bags and raffle, with prizes donated by Donnington Grove, The Racecourse Newbury and Greenacre Lesiure, amongst others. While guests were happily mingling, the models were backstage having their hair and make-up finished by Julian’s hair salon and The Body Shop.
Consultant surgeons Steve Coutrney, Hilary Umeh and Brendan Smith, all of whom were in the audience, said: “This machine will sit in the operarting theatre and test tissue samples for traces of cancer, so, for the first time, we will know in real time, as we operate, when we’ve removed the cancer at a microscopic level.
“Currently breast cancer patients are faced with an anxious wait for up to two weeks while a laboratory tests the samples. Should they find microscopic traces of cancer, then the patient faces a second operation. Having the faxitron will mean that many patients will wake up from their operation to an all-clear, and anyhting we can do to reduce anxiety at such a vulnerable time is a giant leap forward in patient care.”
Mrs Le Du added that there were many people to thank, but in particular she wanted to thank the soldiers of Denison Barracks and the models for having the courage to get up on stage for such a good cause.
More photographs from the fashion show will be featured in the next edition of out&about magazine, published on November 21, free with the NWN.
(Photo credit: Known Photography, www.knownphotography.co.uk)
