Mum loved to laugh and party. Her greatest love was singing. She could bring the place down with her gutsy voice. We’ve walked into pubs and clubs with mum where she wasn’t known but by midnight everyone knew Nancy.

Mum’s defining characteristic was her warmth. It shone out of her. She had time for everybody and an absolute absence of snobbery or condescension. She was just herself. She saw countless doctors and nurses and I’m sure they saw countless patients but they all remembered Nancy because she made herself so human with her warmth, remembering their name and always giving a hug as she left. She melted away barriers

She chose to fight when told she had lung cancer and hope shaped our days. She fought really hard to stay with us and suffered a great deal but took all the treatment offered because she loved us so much. She was incredibly brave. She was dad's, my sisters' (Lesley and Julia) my brother's (Billy) and my best friend. We miss her so, so much.

Mum left us on New Year's Eve, 9 months after her diagnosis. She was 65 years young. New Years Eve is significant as it reminds us that she was a party girl who liked to laugh and love but there is another message for us too, to look ahead and hope for better times.

When you're next in town on a sunny day, why not head over to St Nicks Church to sit on mum's bench in the church garden. The views out to the River Mersey are lovely. See photos in the Gallery below.

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Both Mum and her dad (our lovely Da) died of lung cancer. By setting up this tribute fund with Roy Castle we feel we are keeping hope alive. We hope that the money raised will go towards trials for better treatment and also screening for early diagnosis. We want people to feel there is hope and not just despair when given a diagnosis of lung cancer.