6 minute read

I had a different post ready to go for today but, after watching the new George Clarke TV show ‘Building Home’ on Saturday night (first shown in the UK on Channel 4 on Wednesday 5 February and available on My4), I felt moved to share this instead.

One of the main reasons I started this blog was to inspire people to

live, laugh and love

These are the things I’ve tried to do within my own life since I received a terminal cancer diagnosis in July 2023. Sometimes, however, you come across a person who is so inspirational that they instantly make you a better person and, watching this program, I found one such person.

Saturday had already been an .. emotional day. Not ‘bad’ necessarily, but not ‘good’ either. Some days are like that. Humans are emotionally complex beings, capable of happiness one moment followed by a wave of sadness that can seem to appear out of nowhere. I’ve learned to accept that all of my emotions have an important part to play in my cancer journey and I’d gone into more detail about why in the post I was going to publish – but that can wait.

So when we settled down on Saturday night to watch TV, my wife suggested we try the new George Clarke series. Since my diagnosis I’ve found that I do watch more shows which would fall into the ‘Comfort TV’ bracket. TV Shows in the streaming age seem to get increasingly more serious, more violent, darker and, well, more depressing… My cancer diagnosis has changed how I feel about life (how could it not) and, since life is often reflected in television shows, it’s changed how I watch television too.

Certainly when I was having chemotherapy, I found that I just didn’t want that type of program anymore. In fact, one of my favourite memories (if there is such a thing) of receiving the treatment was watching ‘Antiques Roadshow’, in hospital, with my wife. I would have to stay in hospital for an intense five day regimen every three weeks. This started on a Wednesday morning and ended on a Sunday evening, by which time my wife was the only person I could face seeing, knowing that we could sit in each other’s silence and watch the show. I was on a cancer ward and the other patients, along with their families, would all turn off their devices so we could watch it undisturbed – I’ll never forget the people I met on ward 14.

Me and my wife around the time I was having BEP Chemotherapy. Photo taken 16 July 2023.

Nowadays, I can barely stay awake through an hour long show. Cancer fatigue is real. I spend a lot of time feeling very tired, exhausted even and I find that, when I want to do something, even something simple, I often just don’t have the energy. It can be a symptom of the cancer itself or a side effect of treatment. I would add that coping with the range of emotions cancer presents also contributes to this. It also makes what I have to say in this post even more awe-inspiring.

I’ve been a fan of George Clarke since my wife introduced me to ‘Ugly House To Lovely House’ in 2016. She would love to either build her own home or undertake a restoration project but I think we’ve both accepted that this isn’t something that is likely to happen, certainly not right now. Not because I have cancer though. Cancer doesn’t have to stop you from realising your dreams and, as this episode shows, when you focus on what matters most to you, it can actually drive you to fulfill them.

In this new series, George meets people uprooting their lives to return ‘home’ (something I can relate to since, in 2021, having lived in Leeds, England for 16 years, we moved back to the area that I grew up in). One such person is Chris Hindle, who along with his wife Ellie, returned to Lancashire to build a home together close to Chris’ family and friends. Driven by strong emotional ties and fond memories, they ended up buying Chris’ grandparents rundown bungalow, knocking it down and beginning the months long process of building a new house from scratch. Time really was of the essence though.

Chris, Ellie and George (Image: Channel 4)

Chris, aged just 35, had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. He had previously had surgery to remove a tumour in his leg but the cancer had spread. Another person might have thought twice about taking on such a big project but, not only did they go ahead undeterred, he even did a lot of the building work himself, inbetween having chemotherapy treatments, which I found simply remarkable.

More so, I found Chris to be such a brave and inspirational person that, if you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to watch it now. This recommendation comes with a warning though because, after an emotional watch, I was left in floods of tears at the end. Even now as I’m typing this I can feel myself getting choked up and when I was looking online for images, I noticed I wasn’t the only one. It seems as though he has truly struck a chord with the nation. And deservedly so.

NEW: Heading Home After Heartbreaking Diagnosis | George Clarke’s Building Home | Channel 4 Homes

Despite numerous setbacks, his determination to complete the project was nothing short of incredible and they were able to move in on schedule and spend Christmas in their new home surrounded by family. It’s a gripping and moving story full of laughter, tears .. and comfortable armchairs! The fact that he allowed all of this to take place in front of the cameras during arguably the most difficult time of his life is truly .. heartening; exhilarating; uplifting (insert your own synonym) .. I absolutely loved watching this episode and seeing someone with such an amazing outlook on life so motivated and following his dream. It can be an inspiration for so many of us who are going through similar circumstances and I can’t help but look up to him.

So this post is for Chris who sadly died a few months after they moved in, and for his wife and family, and all the cancer survivors and thrivers out there who are living their best lives.

Fundraiser for The Air League & East Lancashire Hospice

Chris’ sister, Rebecca, has set up two Just Giving pages in memory of Chris:

“Chris always dreamed of becoming a fast jet pilot in the military, and he was one of the fortunate few who turned that dream into reality. The Air League played a vital role in helping him reach his goal by providing aviation scholarships during his teenage years. This cause was close to Chris’s heart, and we’re honoured to continue supporting it in his memory” (Image and text: Rebecca Hindle)

“The East Lancashire Hospice provided incredible support to Chris and our family. In honour of his memory, Chris’s last wish was to make a meaningful donation to the hospice, which relies entirely on the generosity of donations to continue its vital work”. (Image and text: Rebecca Hindle)

If you’ve been moved by Chris’s story and want to donate and support, here are the links*:

The air League

Rebecca Hindle is fundraising for The Air League

The East Lancashire Hospice

Rebecca Hindle is fundraising for The East Lancashire Hospice

• Sharing these link with your friends and family could also help raise up to 3x more in donations