STRIPPING off to raise awareness of prostate cancer, a resident from Milton Damerel featured in ITV’s ‘The All New Monty’ recently forming part of the Monty Army.

Chris Pedlar, a survivor of prostate cancer was diagnosed in 2015. Early detection meant he is now clear of the disease. Since his diagnosis it has led him to do a lot of work with prostate UK as a speaker at presentations across the UK and Cancer.net (based in the USA).

Proud partner Tracey Slocombe said: “We are both keen to keep the momentum on raising awareness going following the show. Because of Chris’ early detection, he was under the radar anyway due to a family history of prostate cancer but wasn’t due to start being screened for the disease until he reached the age of 50.

“Under the advice of his father, he went for a check up several years before he reached that age, it was just as well he did as he tested positive. He had no symptoms, no pain or anything that’s commonly associated with prostate cancer. If he had followed the advice of medical experts and left it until he was 50 the outcome would have been very different. I believe the age for screening has since been lowered for those at high risk.”

In conjunction with Chris’ TV appearance Tracey has written a cookbook to help keep momentum going with awareness. She said: “Joe Pasquale and Willie Thorne have given me permission to feature them in it after I immortalised them in gingerbread along with Chris Pedlar aka ‘Mr Slocombe’ as he has become known.

“We want to try and start a trend in the UK on cancer awareness raising days through bakeries making pink shortbreads, and gingerbreads with the ribbons. I have Spun Gold TV productions behind me in this too and following a meeting with them they are going to approach Colleen Nolan and the team at Loose Women to see what can be done in terms of getting them behind me too. “Ideally, I would like to kick start the trend in North Devon but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter where it starts, just so long as it does, I have everything crossed!”

The book entitled ‘Mrs Slocombe’s Bull at a Gate Cookery’, due to be released later this year, isn’t the run of the mill cook book. Mrs Slocombe is a cook with personality and humour and very creative.

Tracey said: “I’ve included funny memoirs from my days as a beef farmer, quirky dishes, feasts for a gathering, seven drunken nights section (only it turned into a bit more than seven nights) a lifestyle that farming folk can relate to if you’ve been dragged up in scrubs making you rough, tough and hard to bluff and even if you’re not from a farming background it gives a valuable insight to what the reality is really like!

“And being as we are a nation of cat and dog lovers, I’ve even got a recipe for them under the ‘Pooch and Pussy Treats’. As well as having a goofy slant to it, rest assured I really can cook and have also banged out some fabulous creations as well.”

Tracey says the book promises to have a more local side to it as well, recognising a few well-known faces: “It has a strong local slant too with creations such as The Milton Damerel as opposed to the Melton Mowbray, South Molten (choc volcano pudding), Johnny Kingdoms’ widow has allowed me and given me Johnny’s favourite tea time treat to re-create. I also have a few more well known locals that feature too.”