A GROUP of tractor enthusiasts who stripped off for a risque calendar have raised almost £8,000 for causes close to their heart.
The band of friends who make up the “tractor boys” at Hamsterley Social Club bared all in November to raise cash for cancer and dementia charities because a number of their members and those close to them are afflicted by the diseases.
Almost £6,000 was raised during the calendar launch and more were sold at Darlington Auction Mart, during a table-top sale and at the village’s Cross Keys pub.
Two of the group, Tim Elstob and Brian Bell, underwent radiotherapy after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Club secretary Gayle Fidler said: “At the launch night Brian gave a brilliant talk about his journey through cancer. It was a lovely talk and really emotive because it was straight from the heart.”
Mr Bell, a sheep dog trainer, was 72 when he was diagnosed. His dog Hutch was also diagnosed with an enlarged prostate at the same time. He said: “We were both diagnosed with an enlarged prostate roughly at the same time. His wasn’t cancerous and he got away with injections but mine was cancerous so I had to have the radio-therapy. Hutch is alright, his prostate went down to normal.”
At the time, he endured 20 radiotherapy sessions at The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.
He said: “It left me with various side-effects like impotence, incontinence and feeling tired all the time. Touch wood the cancer is gone but it damaged the neck of my bladder which is the cause of the incontinence.
“The point I was trying to make in my speech is if you get it soon, like my dog, there is a better outlook for you.”
Fellow tractor boys member Alan Weir said the calendar not only aimed to raise cash but also to heighten awareness. He added: “The sooner you get tested, the sooner you find out if you’ve got it or not.”
Mr Elstob’s prostate cancer was discovered because of regular testing he had to undergo following a heart attack he suffered in 1995. The 75-year-old said: “I used to go to the doctor for a check-up every month and they picked it up in my blood.”
He also recovered after undergoing radiotherapy at The James Cook Hospital.
People who would like to support the fundraiser can get their copy of the Tractor Boys Calendar at Hamsterley Social Club or the Cross Keys pub.
