Andrew will put on his gladrags for an old friend
A drag queen is donning his glittery dress and wig to raise money in memory of an old friend.
Andrew Pearce will perform as alter ego 'Miss G' for Ben Nowak, a young lad he used to babysit.
Ben grew up and served as a corporal in the Royal Marines, and died aged 27 when a bomb exploded near his boat on the Shatt al-Arab waterway in Basra in Iraq in 2006.
Andrew, now 43, never forgot the young curly-haired lad he knew and loved.
'I still can't believe that he is gone. I still think of Ben as a little boy,' he said.
'He used to have really curly blond hair and I would brush it and make it go really big, we always used to laugh about it.
'We used to have so much fun.'
Ben, who lived in Avery Lane, Gosport, met Andrew when he was only three-years-old as Andrew's gran ran a playgroup he attended.
Ben's mother Jill needed a babysitter and from there the three became close.
'We used to have such a laugh, and Jill was like my sister,' said Andrew, who lives in Southsea with his partner Rob.
He is now hoping that the laughter will continue when he takes to the stage of the Royal Beach Hotel, Southsea, on Saturday, for Ben.
'He would probably love it,' said Andrew.
'It will be quite an emotionally-charged night.
'All of his family are coming to support the show.
'His mum Jill has seen the show once before and enjoyed it.'
He will perform songs and jokes in front of 160 people, including Ben's mum Jill, who is flying from Australia where she now lives.
Andrew, who owns Creatiques Couture bridal shop in Southsea, has been performing as 'Miss G' for eight years.
All funds raised from the show will go to charity A Friend Like Ben – Nowak's Sporting Chance, set up by Ben's family.
The cash will help fund sports and leisure clubs for kids in Liverpool, where his family originate from.
Andrew said: 'I said that I wanted to put a show on for him and celebrate his life.
'All I want to do is raise as much money as possible for him.'
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Weather for Portsmouth
Wednesday 08 February 2012
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