A MAN who lost his wife to bowel cancer says he will always remember her smile and the good times they shared together.

Chris Howe, whose wife Tanya died at the age of 41 last June, is preparing to take on the London Marathon as part of the Helen Rollason charity team in her honour.

Mr Howe, 43, who works as a welder at Transporter Engineering in Gosfield, said training ahead of the big day was going to plan.

He said: “At the moment I’m quite looking forward to it - I’ve never done anything like this before but I’m enjoying the training.

“I’m not sure how I’ll feel when I cross the finish line but it’ll definitely be a very emotional moment.

“We used to do everything together, she was always so chirpy and always smiling.”

Mr Howe, of The Limes, Gosfield, said the Helen Rollason charity had been fantastic in supporting Tanya after she was diagnosed with the disease around two years ago.

He said: “After the diagnosis she spent the next year having chemotherapy and treatment at Broomfield Hospital and at the support centre.

“All of the staff, doctors, nurses and even the other patients made her feel so welcome and normal.

“They were so supportive of families to with the therapy they offer and then obviously the bereavement counselling. They got us all through the saddest and most worrying of times and I can’t thank them enough for the truly astounding job they do.

“It’s important they get the much needed help and overwhelming support, just like Tanya did.”

Rosie Jamieson, from Great Dunmow, will be running with Chris as the charity’s community fundraiser and will be leading the team of runners.

The 26-year-old said: “Part of my job is to support our own runners and I really felt I wanted to find out what they put themselves through.

“They raise such an amazing amount for inspiring reasons so I wanted to be running with them rather than just cheering them on from the side-lines.

“So I applied for a ballot place, never for a minute thinking I would get a place, and I did.”

To donate to Mr Howe’s cause visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tanya-howe.