Copyright dailyrecord
A devoted husband is taking his Rutherglen wife’s ashes on an epic journey across Australia to complete a dream trip they never got to make together – in an aim to raise money for the hospice where she spent her final days. George Talbot will travel over 4500 miles on a motorbike from Sydney to Perth in blistering heat to honour one of wife Gaynor’s life goals she never got to realise, following her death from cancer on April 2, 2024, in Strathcarron Hospice, near Denny, aged just 56. Former Cathkin Primary and Cathkin High pupil Gaynor Biddle had been diagnosed with breast cancer just over four years earlier. The devoted couple spent Gaynor’s final 22 days of life together in the hospice where she peacefully passed away with George at her side. Their experience at Strathcarron has inspired George to share awareness of the work the charity does and raise funds to allow others to receive the same exceptional care. George has set himself the ambitious fundraising target of £428,000 – the equivalent of 22 days of Strathcarron’s running costs, a goal he is determined to achieve. George said: “Life presented us with a profound challenge when Gaynor was diagnosed with cancer. My priorities shifted dramatically. I realised that nothing mattered more than the precious time I had left with her. “Gaynor became really unwell and we knew it was time for her to be admitted for specialist care. She was terrified of coming to the hospice, but it was the best thing. When I arrived, Laura one of the nurses said to me ‘George, you are Gaynor’s husband, let us take over the care now, time for you now just to be with your wife’. “The transition of that was unbelievable for me – for that I am so grateful. At home I had been trying to care for her and didn’t know what to do – I was panicking. At Strathcarron there was no panic and they managed her symptoms. “We had been together for 22 years and fell in love all over again during those final 22 days. It was the most incredible time we had at the hospice; not there for a great reason, but it was a special time. It is such a beautiful place. As her health declined, we cherished every moment – the laughter, the conversation and the love. “When she finally passed, she went at peace, with ease, dignity and respect. “I was left confronting an imaginable void. I carry Gaynor’s memory in my heart and am learning to live with the silence and emptiness. It’s a profound experience – an absence that reaches into the depths of my soul.” Despite his heartache, the 55-year-old has vowed to turn his devastating loss into something positive. He will set off on his solo 22-day challenge from Sydney to Perth on December 15 with Gaynor’s ashes, on his BMW R1250 GSA Adventure motor bike. Travelling in the heat of summer, the trip will take in remote and challenging landscapes, from the rugged Outback and coastal cliffs of the Great Ocean Road, to the vast Nullarbor Plain. A motorbike enthusiast, George also has a hand-painted motorbike that he rides regularly that has symbolic elements on it, such as Gaynor’s favourite flowers the primula flower, and animals they saw on one of their favourite safari holidays. A depiction of Gaynor’s spirit also adorns the bike, painted along with the star lines of the day that she passed, so George can feel like she is with him whenever and where ever he rides During George’s epic trip across Australia, when he feels the time is right, he will choose spots to scatter some of his wife’s ashes. He said: “Before she died Gaynor started planning this trip for me. She was the type of person who just wanted to make sure everyone else was okay. “She knew I would struggle and need something to focus on after she was gone. I’ve felt really dark at times and this has stopped me from ending up down a worse deep, dark mental hole. “This fundraising trip has given me a goal and a plan of action.” George added: “It’s going to be an emotional rollercoaster, but this level of tough challenge is nothing compared to what she went through. “I want other people to have this opportunity to have this care and support. Any of us could need Strathcarron’s help one day and I would rather know that I did my bit. “Gaynor wanted to make memories and make every moment count with her friends and family, even though she knew the physical toll of the trip would take days off her life. “When she wanted to have one last meal with her family, staff helped her to get ready. They put a beautiful shawl over her, pinned on a brooch and wheeled her out of that room with her standards held high that she had kept throughout her life. It meant a lot to her.” Gaynor also went to Nancy McGilvery School of Dancing in Rutherglen. She mastered everything from majorettes to tap, Latin American, and more. Her dedication paid off - the family home was filled with medals, shields and trophies, each a testament to her talent. Every year, the dance school took part in the Landemer Day parade, marching through the streets of Rutherglen in a grand display of music and movement After leaving school at the age of 16, Gaynor began her working life as a silver service waitress at the Kings Park Hotel. Over the years, she held various roles at well-known establishments, including the Rosslea Hotel in Rhu, Helensburgh, Dunblane Hydro, the Inchyra Grange Hotel, and Airth Castle. She steadily worked her way up through the ranks, taking on positions such as supervisor, assistant manager and eventually operations manager. George and Gaynor later lived together in Stenhousemuir. Fundraising in Gaynor’s memory is already underway. Her loved ones held a fundraising ball on Friday, October 31, in her memory and have arranged to have a camper van converted to raffle off in aid of the hospice. George has also stayed in touch with staff to find out if any practical items are needed that they can donate periodically, as and when needed. Fundraising ball organisers Lorraine Archibald, Sarah Shade and Ann Marie Miller, close friends of Gaynor’s said: “Gaynor was such a force of nature. She had such focus and determination – she was very thorough and thoughtful. She had goals for everything she wanted to get done before she died. “She made so many memories for other people, including planning birthday cards for people to receive after her death and handkerchiefs with personal messages. They were very emotional to receive. George’s message reads ‘This is not for your tears and sorrow, this is to wipe away your bike dirt and stoor’”. George added: “You don’t know until you are pushing someone you love through those doors, the impact Strathcarron has. “It was everyone I came into contact with – even the cooks, the domestics and other patients’ families. We would sit at night chatting and when their loved one passed they came and found me and we had a hug. We had some emotional but lovely chats. It made a big impact on me. “The staff are incredible. They have their own unique challenges and worries they will have going on at home, then they come to work and go from patient to patient with a smile on their faces, despite the sadness and loss that they have just come from in the room before and carrying the weight of that.” Ann Marie added: “The staff bring love and joy every day. When Gaynor had passed and there was no more the staff could do for her, they immediately moved their focus to George - they all moved to care for him. It was amazing.” Strathcarron Hospice community fundraiser Marion Blaney said: “Strathcarron Hospice supports people across Forth Valley, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth living with a life-limiting condition. We help to make every moment count for patients and their families, so that they can live well with their illness and make the most of the time they have, and when the time comes, to die well. “Strathcarron Hospice needs to raise around £19,452 a day to provide all their services, which are free to those who use them across our local communities. We are incredibly grateful to George, his family and friends, for the fundraising they have pledged to do in Gaynor’s memory. It is a very special way for George to remember Gaynor and to give back to others within their local community.” To donate to Gaynor’s In Memory page visit www.strathcarronhospice.net/inmemoryof/gaynor-biddle To enter the raffle for the camper van visit https://ggontwowheels.com/raffle and the raffle will be live until George’s return from Australia in January. To follow George’s journey, including his online travel vlog, visit www.ggontwowheels.com * Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here . And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook ? Head on over and give us a like and share!
