Remembering loved ones through songs and stories
The people behind a new music project say they hope it will help keep memories of loved ones alive after they have died.Music to Die For was founded by Hazel Harrison and Phillipa Anders and aims to explore music's connection to memories and emotions.They are asking people to share a piece of music that connects them with "someone you've lost and the story behind it".Ms Anders said: "Just over four years ago I lost my husband very suddenly, and this project and meeting Hazel has created this incredible way of being able to use music in an incredibly powerful way."
Music to Die For is described as a space for people who have been bereaved "to honour their memory, keep their story alive and explore the role music plays in your connection to them".There is a guide to help people submit their stories with four parts:About the musicMaking connectionsFinding meaningMoving forwardThese are then shared on the website and via social media.The project is being supported by a Creative Health Residency by Britten Pears Arts in Suffolk.Dr Harrison said: "As a clinical psychologist I'm really interested in emotion and how we understand and explore our experiences and improve our wellbeing, and music for me is a really key ingredient for that."Music allows us to sit in a particular emotion that we're feeling."We feel this whole messy array of emotions, as humans, and sometimes we just need a piece of music to hold us in that space. "That can be a joyful piece of music, sometimes that can be a deeply emotive or sad piece of music that enables us to connect with that loss and that sad feeling."Also it can help us map our journey - we know grief isn't a linear process, we will move through a range of different experiences that link to yearning and loss."But also to the bittersweet nature of remembering the joyful parts."
Ms Anders said: "I've always had a life and career in music, so every single minute of my day was filled with music in some way."After my husband Rob died, for a good number of months I just couldn't listen to music at all. "I couldn't see it live, I couldn't listen to it at home, I just didn't want music. "Then very gradually I started to reintroduce it. "But what has happened now is the music I listen to is almost completely separate from what I was listening to before. "My tastes have really developed and grown, I'm listening to stuff now I wouldn't have listened to before. "I'm going to gigs that I wouldn't have gone to you before, it's opened up a new relationship with music that feels healthy. "There is a saying 'grieve fully and live fully'."It's allowing me to stay connected to Rob, but at the same time It's about the forward path while still connecting to what I had."
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Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Man dressed as giant testicles to run 500km all over the UK
Toby Freeman is running a series of marathons across the UK dressed as a giant pair of testicles to raise awareness of testicular cancer following the tragic death if his brother A man is donning a massive pair of testicles to run marathons across the UK, in order to raise awareness for testicular cancer. Toby Freeman set up the Robin Cancer Trust in memory of his brother, Robin, who tragically passed away after being diagnosed with the disease at just 24 in December 2011. Now, Toby is committed to educating others about the condition and supporting those affected by it. In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, the 35-year-old from Colchester said: "Going back to 2011, my brother was diagnosed with a really rare form of testicular cancer. And my brother was fit, healthy, active - didn't smoke, barely drank and yet he was diagnosed with late-stage testicular cancer. "Long, long, long story short, we lost Rob 10 months later and we decided that if someone who was as health conscious and fit and active as Rob could be diagnosed, that it could happen to anyone. So we really wanted to focus on awareness education and support so that no other family went through what we did basically, so that was the idea for the Robin Cancer Trust. "Obviously with these things, you start with family and friends and it's about Rob's story, and people are involved because they love you and they want to support that. Then as it's grown over the years, more people have been touched by the mission, by the story, and it's become about everyone else. All the people that we've helped, the community that we've built, all the people out there that we've supported." In 2025, Toby is passionately taking on a series of running challenges, with an intent not just to fundraise for the trust but also to spark vital discussions about cancer screening among youngsters. His distinctive attire while running has also unsurprisingly been a conversation starter. Toby added: "I'm a runner, I'm not a runner on this level by any means, you know? I can run and I wanted to do some challenges this year, and then I said if I'm gonna do this I need to lead by example. I'm always talking about raising awareness, reducing embarrassment, saving lives, and I thought the best way to do that is all of our campaigns run through humour, right? "We think the best way to engage a young audience is to make them laugh. That lowers everyone's barriers and then we can have these really important health conversations. So I thought what would I think would be absolutely hilarious would be running around like a giant ball bag. "Thankfully my team were on board with this and it's grown into this challenge - this 500 kilometre challenge. I'm trying to do events all over the UK, not just where I'm based. You know, I've done Brighton. I've done London. I'm doing the Hadrian's Wall challenge. "I'm doing an ultramarathon after that in September. I'm trying to do races all across the UK because this is something we need to get out. Absolutely everywhere. But yeah, the idea just came about was how can we make this as big and bold and silly with a really important message behind it as well? "And that's been a really cool thing seeing people get that. There's the initial hilarity of, 'What is this person doing? Oh, I actually get why they're doing this.' That's really important, and I think there's a real need for guys especially to have these sorts of conversations." Regarding public reaction, Toby explained that the response has been overwhelmingly positive. He said: "People love it. I was lucky enough to run Brighton and London, and not only the running community absolutely love it because I think they respect how hard it is running in the costume, but they get the message as well. "But the crowds have been unbelievable. People just love it and it's exactly what you said, it's the shock value. It's going from, 'What am I witnessing right now?' to immediately understanding the why. Because you know, it's quite obvious that it's for testicular cancer as well. "So yeah, you get the cheers on both sides of respect for you doing something silly and challenging, but also why you're doing it, and it's been received so amazingly. The races have all been really great. London and Brighton both supported it. Gave me a platform to talk about it." Toby's 'My Big Ballsy Challenge' has seen him complete marathons in London and Brighton, with his sights now set on conquering Hadrian's Wall between June 12 and June 15. His efforts have so far raised £15,845 towards a £240,000 target for his charity, sparking numerous discussions about testicular cancer along the way. Yet, this isn't Toby's first quirky campaign. In 2019, he launched prosthetic testicles into the stratosphere during Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, and in 2021, he orchestrated a Zoom call with 250 men checking their testicles in a bid to set a world record. The following year saw him showcase the UK's largest pair of testicles on Manchester's I Love MCR billboard. Reflecting on his previous campaigns, Toby added: "Oh, yeah, we've done a fair few things. First one that comes to mind is we sent a pair of balls into space. We called it space balls, the campaign. That was to launch Testicular Cancer Awareness Month. That must have been pre-pandemic. "Seems like a long time ago. But yeah, we worked with the company to send a pair of balls into space. There's beautiful shots of like, the world curvature below with a pair of balls dangling above it. So that was really good fun. "We worked with I Love MCR in Manchester to create the world's biggest pair of balls on a digital billboard, so that was really good fun as well. Again, that was Testicular Cancer Awareness Month and then during the pandemic we brought... it was 250 guys from 25 different countries on five continents on Zoom to all check their balls at the same time. "So it was an unofficial world record because we couldn't get an official world record for it. But I hold on to that. I say no one else has brought that many people together to check their balls at one time. So that was yeah... we've done lots of things to be honest." Toby Freeman will run Hadrian's Wall between June 12 and June 15 as part of his Big Ballsy Challenge. You can find out more about his cause and donate on his Give As You Live page here. You can also find out more about the work of the Robin Cancer Trust here.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'I'm running 500km dressed as giant testicles – I always get the same response'
Toby Freeman has embarked on a number of marathons to raise money for the Robin Cancer Trust - and his truly unique attire has caught the attention of members of the public along the way A man dressed as a massive pair of testicles is running a number of marathons across the UK to raise awareness of the cancer. Toby Freeman founded the Robin Cancer Trust in tribute of his brother, Robin, who was tragically diagnosed with late-stage testicular cancer and passed away at the age of 24 in December 2011. Now, the 35-year-old from Colchester is dedicated to raising awareness of the condition and helping those who find themselves diagnosed with it. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror about the foundation of the Robin Cancer Trust, Toby said: "Going back to 2011, my brother was diagnosed with a really rare form of testicular cancer. "And my brother was fit, healthy, active - didn't smoke, barely drank and yet he was diagnosed with late-stage testicular cancer. Long, long, long story short, we lost Rob 10 months later and we decided that if someone who was as health conscious and fit and active as Rob could be diagnosed, that it could happen to anyone. "So we really wanted to focus on awareness education and support so that no other family went through what we did basically, so that was the idea for the Robin Cancer Trust. Obviously with these things, you start with family and friends and it's about Rob's story, and people are involved because they love you and they want to support that. "Then as it's grown over the years, more people have been touched by the mission, by the story, and it's become about everyone else. All the people that we've helped, the community that we've built, all the people out there that we've supported." In 2025, Toby has made it his mission to take part in a series of running challenges, not only to raise money for the trust but to also hold serious conversations with youngsters on the importance of screening for cancer. And his unique costume in which he has been running has certainly helped him to spark up said talks. He added: "I'm a runner, I'm not a runner on this level by any means, you know? I can run and I wanted to do some challenges this year, and then I said if I'm gonna do this I need to lead by example. I'm always talking about raising awareness, reducing embarrassment, saving lives, and I thought the best way to do that is all of our campaigns run through humour, right? "We think the best way to engage a young audience is to make them laugh. That lowers everyone's barriers and then we can have these really important health conversations. So I thought what would I think would be absolutely hilarious would be running around like a giant ball bag. "Thankfully my team were on board with this and it's grown into this challenge - this 500 kilometre challenge. I'm trying to do events all over the UK, not just where I'm based. You know, I've done Brighton. I've done London. I'm doing the Hadrian's Wall challenge. "I'm doing an ultramarathon after that in September. I'm trying to do races all across the UK because this is something we need to get out. Absolutely everywhere. But yeah, the idea just came about was how can we make this as big and bold and silly with a really important message behind it as well? "And that's been a really cool thing seeing people get that. There's the initial hilarity of, 'What is this person doing? Oh, I actually get why they're doing this.' That's really important, and I think there's a real need for guys especially to have these sorts of conversations." In terms of reception, Toby added that people have reacted to seeing the suit in overwhelmingly positive fashion. He said: "People love it. I was lucky enough to run Brighton and London, and not only the running community absolutely love it because I think they respect how hard it is running in the costume, but they get the message as well. "But the crowds have been unbelievable. People just love it and it's exactly what you said, it's the shock value. It's going from, 'What am I witnessing right now?' to immediately understanding the why. Because you know, it's quite obvious that it's for testicular cancer as well. "So yeah, you get the cheers on both sides of respect for you doing something silly and challenging, but also why you're doing it, and it's been received so amazingly. The races have all been really great. London and Brighton both supported it. Gave me a platform to talk about it." Dubbed 'My Big Ballsy Challenge', Toby has already completed marathons in London and Brighton, and his next challenge is running Hadrian's Wall - the 73-mile long structure that runs between Newcastle upon Tyne and Bowness-on-Solway - between June 12 and June 15. Thanks to his endeavours thus far, Toby has managed to raise £15,845 of his £240,000 target for his charity, while also engaging in countless conversations with members of the public regarding testicular cancer. However, it's not the first campaign that Toby has launched which has been a little out there. In 2019, Toby sent a pair of prosthetic testicles into space via a hydrogen balloon in support of Testicular Cancer Awareness Month. In 2021, he invited 250 men to check their testicles simultaneously via a Zoom call in an attempt to break a world record, and the following year, he helped display the UK's largest pair of testicles on I Love MCR's flagship Manchester billboard. Speaking about his past endeavours, Toby said: "Oh, yeah, we've done a fair few things. First one that comes to mind is we sent a pair of balls into space. We called it space balls, the campaign. That was to launch Testicular Cancer Awareness Month. That must have been pre-pandemic. "Seems like a long time ago. But yeah, we worked with the company to send a pair of balls into space. There's beautiful shots of like, the world curvature below with a pair of balls dangling above it. So that was really good fun. "We worked with I Love MCR in Manchester to create the world's biggest pair of balls on a digital billboard, so that was really good fun as well. Again, that was Testicular Cancer Awareness Month and then during the pandemic we brought… it was 250 guys from 25 different countries on five continents on Zoom to all check their balls at the same time. "So it was an unofficial world record because we couldn't get an official world record for it. But I hold on to that. I say no one else has brought that many people together to check their balls at one time. So that was yeah… we've done lots of things to be honest." Toby Freeman will run Hadrian's Wall between June 12 and June 15 as part of his Big Ballsy Challenge. You can find out more about his cause and donate on his Give As You Live page here. You can also find out more about the work of the Robin Cancer Trust here.
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
French Open semi-finals: Irate Sabalenka loses lead over Swiatek in first set - radio & text
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The world number one, despite retaining a position of authority in this first set, is beginning to feel the heat under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier. After a double fault is followed by a miss, Sabalenka lets out a huge roar as she gets level and tries to psych herself up for anther couple of points. Update: Date: 14:51 BST Title: 'Swiatek has adjusted to the heaviness of these shots' Content: *Sabalenka 4-3 Swiatek Andrea PetkovicFormer world number nine on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds You can just tell that Iga Swiatek has adjusted to the heaviness of these shots from Aryna Sabalenka. She is reacting a lot better and her eyes are sending the reactions to her brain quicker. Update: Date: 14:50 BST Title: Swiatek holds serve Content: *Sabalenka 4-3 Swiatek That could be huge for Iga Swiatek. A first hold brings the defending champion within one game of Aryna Sabalenka for the first time. It's game on! Update: Date: 14:49 BST Title: 'Swiatek has just glanced up to her box quizzically' Content: Sabalenka 4-2 Swiatek* Andrea PetkovicFormer world number nine on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds That's not an easy situation for Aryna Sabalenka at all. She thought she was up 5-1 and we could see the tension leaving her body for a second. Iga Swiatek has just glanced up to her box quizzically, asking what to do with her serve because she hasn't held serve as yet. I'm not sure whether she got any tactical advice. Update: Date: 14:49 BST Title: Post Content: Sabalenka 4-2 Swiatek* A run of unforced errors from Aryna Sabalenka, who makes a really poor miss at the net, gives Iga Swiatek three chances to complete her first hold of serve. Sabalenka closes to within a point with a backhand into the corner. How Swiatek could do with this next point... 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Update: Date: 14:44 BST Title: Break point Swiatek Content: *Sabalenka 4-1 Swiatek Iga Swiatek dials up the pressure by reaching break point, which Aryna Sabalenka swiftly dismisses with a powerful first serve. Swiatek then fires back with a blistering backhand return to prevent Sabalenka escaping to a 5-1 lead, before forcing a second break point. Update: Date: 14:41 BST Title: Deuce on Sabalenka serve Content: *Sabalenka 4-1 Swiatek Iga Swiatek is having a stern word with herself between points as she desperately searches for some rhythm out there. Aryna Sabalenka thinks she has wrapped up a hold with a brutal ace at 40-30 but a late let call by the chair umpire means her joy is short-lived. Swiatek capitalises, taking a free swing at the end of a game she thought she had already lost to reach deuce. 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After a return to deuce, Swiatek continues to frustrate Sabalenka by reaching a third break point and catches the line to get up and running. Update: Date: 14:27 BST Title: Sabalenka saves break point Content: *Sabalenka 3-0 Swiatek Another impressive winner from Iga Swiatek, hammering a forehand down the line to move level before arriving at a first break point. She's unable to take her first opportunity, but this is much more promising from the former world number one. Update: Date: 14:25 BST Title: Post Content: Jonathan JurejkoBBC Sport senior tennis reporter at Roland Garros Blimey. Sabalenka means business. The pace of her returns means time is being taken away from Swiatek. And she does not like being hurried. Sabalenka is not just simply a ball-basher these days, though. She is illustrating that by coming forward and showing some touch.
