A Wiltshire drummer was reunited with his band for their first gig in 25 years, following treatment for prostate cancer at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust.
Jim Hamersley, 67, from Rowde near Devizes, was diagnosed with high grade prostate cancer in November 2021, after noticing he was needing to urinate more frequently.
Jim had 20 sessions of radiotherapy at the RUH and, wanting to raise money to say thank you to the team caring for him, he knew exactly who to call on – his old band Astral Plane.
He said: “We’d been talking about getting back together for a reunion gig for a while, and this was the perfect reason to do it.
“I’d kept up with my drumming all these years, but we hadn’t played together since 1994.
“It was really special, made even better by the fact we were raising money for a fantastic cause.”
The seven-piece band dusted off their instruments, dug out their popular repertoire of 70s and 80s disco covers, and hit the stage for a series of three comeback gigs.
They raised £1010.70 for hospital charity RUHX, to be spent on improvements in the radiotherapy department. Jim has now finished radiotherapy treatment, but will continue having regular check-ups.
He added: “The care I had at the RUH was exceptional. I’m so grateful to everyone.
“I would encourage anyone to go and get checked if there’s something they’re worried about.”
Radiotherapy Service Manager Lisa Tolson said: “We’re really grateful to Jim and his friends and family raising money for us, in such a meaningful way.
“It was great to catch up with Jim when he visited to present the cheque, and hear about how the gigs had gone.
“On behalf of the whole team, we wish him all the best on his continued recovery.”