A WOMAN from Bromley Cross will be taking part in her first-ever skydive next month in memory of her husband.

Civil servant Kathryn Taylor is raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity after her husband Barrie died due to a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer last year.

More than £1,000 has been raised for the charity already.

Kathryn, who is celebrating her 60th birthday tomorrow, has never been an adrenaline junkie and even avoids rollercoasters, but she made the decision to do something on this scale because so much has changed in her life.

She said:” It’s been a tough 18 months. I’m retiring on June 30 and we had both planned to go travelling.

“I wanted to do something to challenge myself and mark all the big changes in my life. I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone.

“I’m trying to not think about it too much, I’m comforting myself that it won’t last very long.

“Some of my friends will be there with me but I’m feeling quite nervous. It’s a tandem skydive so I will be attached to someone else who will be in control.

“I think that’s a good thing because I wouldn’t be able to open up that parachute in time,

“My husband did a skydive a few years ago and he really enjoyed it, but he was a lot more daring than me.”

Barrie was diagnosed on January 9, 2019. Two days later he had 90% of his tumour removed at Salford Royal Hospital.

However, by March it had grown back and doctors said that it wasn’t a typical brain tumour.

Money was raised for Bolton Hospice at Barrie’s funeral and at his birthday celebration in July last year, so Kathryn decided to support The Brain Tumour Charity this time.

She said: “It’s quite an underfunded charity and it’s not high priority.

“It would be good to actually give some money to help them research into this kind of brain tumour.

“It’s been a very hard time, we were both retiring and we had all of these travel plans but then this came out of the blue.

“We were going to go to Las Vegas, which is where we got married 11 years ago.

“Lockdown has been very difficult, I’ve felt very isolated. Normally I try and keep myself busy by seeing friends and going out for coffee, so it’s been a double whammy.

“But I’ve just got to keep going and get on with things" she added.

“Some of Barrie’s friends have given amazing amounts. He was a very popular person and well known in the brewery industry.