Red Nose Day: Paulsgrove pensioner with lung cancer aims to put a smile on people's faces with Comic Relief poetry show

By Tom Cotterill

Published 16th Mar 2022, 16:41 BST

Updated 16th Mar 2022, 17:38 BST

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A RETIRED first aid trainer battling lung cancer is hoping to put a smile on people’s face for Comic Relief – by reciting 80 minutes of amusing poems.

John Dean will be staging his one-man show on Friday at St Mark’s Church, in Derby Road, North End.

The 71-year-old, of Elkstone Road, Paulsgrove, regularly undergoes chemotherapy to keep his cancer ‘in check’. But he struggles to breathe.

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John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine
Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-35) — John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-35)

John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine
Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-35) — John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-35)

Despite his ill health, self-published poet John is determined to perform his poetry show to raise cash for Red Nose Day.

John, who has already overcome prostate cancer, staged a similar day of prose for Comic Relief about 20 years ago, for two and half hours.

His latest show will be a ‘challenge’ he said, adding: ‘I thought this would be a good thing to do. I don’t think I could manage two and a half hours now. I’m 71 one now and I’ve got lung cancer, which does affect my breathing.

‘I want to carry on in life. I’m not going to give up. I still cycle. I thought this would be a challenge for me but I feel it will be doing some good.’

John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine. Here he delivers his poem about a fly
Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-39) — John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine. Here he delivers his poem about a fly Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-39)

John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine. Here he delivers his poem about a fly
Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-39) — John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine. Here he delivers his poem about a fly Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-39)

John, who used to be a trainer for St John Ambulance, said all the poems he reads will be ‘funny and amusing’ written either by himself or other poets.

He added: ‘I wanted to do something. With things being like they are, where everything is so awful at the moment, news-wise, with all sorts of problems now with Ukraine but also with the environment and cost of living – all these things, I just thought it would be nice to do something fun and make a bit of money for charity in the process.’

John was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 which has ‘virtually gone away’ following treatment.

But he was diagnosed with lung cancer in November 2020 when he was forced to undergo an aggressive bout of chemotherapy.

John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine. Here he delivers his poem about a fly
Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-40) — John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine. Here he delivers his poem about a fly Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-40)

John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine. Here he delivers his poem about a fly
Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-40) — John Dean will perform comedy and poetry on Red Nose Day in the hall at St Mark's Church, Derby Road, North End. Comic Relief have told him some of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief in Ukraine. Here he delivers his poem about a fly Picture: Chris Moorhouse (jpns 090322-40)

He still has chemotherapy every three weeks to keep the cancer at bay.

His poetry show starts at 1.30pm. He is hoping to be sponsored for every 20 minutes he performs.

Sponsorship forms are available at the church. He does not have an online link for donations.

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John Dean Paulsgrove

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