Maisie Adam Archives - The Stray Ferret

Harrogate district runners take on the London Marathon this weekend

Harrogate born stand-up comedian Maisie Adam is set to complete the London Marathon tomorrow to honour a 14-year-old boy who died from bone cancer.

Ms Adam attended the same high school as cancer patient Frank Asthon. Despite not personally knowing him, she was moved by his story and is running the marathon as the patron of Frank’s Fund. She hopes to raise funds to improve outcomes for children like Frank.

Ms Adam said:

“Since becoming a patron of Frank’s Fund, I’ve held comedy nights, raffles, appeared on charity gameshow but this will be my toughest task by a mile. I’ve never run a marathon before in my life, but at least I have the privilege to be here to do it. Frank doesn’t, so this is for him, his family, and everyone affected by this horrendous disease.”

Frank Ashton was 11 years old when he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a form of primary bone cancer, in April 2016.

His treatment involved 14 cycles of chemotherapy, two months of proton beam therapy carried out in the US, and an 8-hour operation to remove the tumour and a large section of his pelvis.

In September 2017, when Frank was five months in remission, his family received the news that the cancer had returned. Despite further treatment, Frank passed away on February 9 2019.

Frank’s mum, Louise Asthon, said:

“Although Maisie and Frank never met, we know they’d have got on like a house on fire. Comedy was one of Frank’s favourite things. From Alan Patridge and League of their Own to the Inbetweeners and Gavin and Stacey, Frank used comedy to get through some of his darkest days.

“Frank had a lively sense of humour and could always be relied on to make people laugh and keep them entertained. We are so grateful for Maisie’s support, and we know Frank would approve of Maisie being patron for the fund we set up in his memory. Good luck Maisie – we’ll be cheering for you.”

Laura Riach, head of fundraising and communications at the Bone Cancer Research Trust, said:

“We are incredibly grateful to Maisie and all of her wonderful supporters for their efforts. The funds raised will be put to good use to ensure that fewer patients like Frank suffer at the hands of this cruel disease.”

To learn more and support Maisie Adams’ marathon click here.

The London Marathon is set to take place tomorrow (April 21). The annual event first took place in 1981. The route sees runners pass London landmarks including Buckingham Palace, The Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf. With the marathon looming others in the Harrogate district are training for Sunday’s event.

‘Running for dad’: Harrogate teen runs in memory of his late father

Rafael Colman-Chadwick

Another Harrogate local raising money for a cancer charity is 18-year-old Rafael Colman-Chadwick.

His dad, Damián, was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, stage 4 Glioblastoma when Rafael was ten years old and died two years later.

Rafael has had to navigate his teenage years without his father. He said, “It has certainly had its challenges. There still isn’t a day I don’t think about his death.”

Mr Colman-Chadwick now plans to run the marathon in his memory and fundraise for Brain Tumour Research.

He said:

“To lose dad at 12 has had its challenges. Describing the emotions is hard to put into words, so instead I will put these emotions into action.”

Click here to donate.

Burton Leonard woman runs for former Harrogate BID director with terminal cancer

Beth Pritchard (left) and Christine with her children and grandchildren

Beth Pritchard, from Burton Leonard, is running the marathon for Bone Cancer following her family friend’s diagnosis.

Last year Ms Pritchard ran 12 marathons in 12 months. She is taking on the challenge for her friend, Christine Armstrong, a prominent figure around Harrogate and Knaresborough. Ms Armstrong started The Met Club which she eventually sold and also ran the Harrogate BID and later the Wakefield BID.

Ms Pritchard said on the JustGiving page dedicated to Ms Armstrong:

“Christine is fighting hard and still manages to smile despite everything so I feel the least I can do is put my trainers on and run some miles for an extremely deserving cause.”

You can donate to here.

Ripon runner supporting Young Suicide Prevention

James Parkes

James Parkes, from Ripon, is the area manager for PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide. He is a member of the local running club, Ripon Runners.

PAPYRUS is a charity which aids the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people.

Mr Parkes said:

“I am inspired by the many volunteers and fundraisers I meet and I wanted to challenge myself to do something both physically and mentally challenging whilst giving something back to the charity.”

Donations can be made here.

Harrogate duo run for Macmillan

Bridget Moore (left) and Amy Cresswell

Harrogate women Bridget Moore and Amy Cresswell will be running the Marathon in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

The pair work at Alchemy Media, Ms Moore is the founder of the organisation with her close friend Ms Creswell as a managing partner. They aim to raise £5,000 for charity and have only completed up to 10K runs in the past.

Ms Moore said:

“I wanted to do something significant for the business turning 18 and the London Marathon actually falls on our birthday, so, it feels like this was meant to be. We also wanted to raise some money for a worthwhile cause and something close to our hearts.”

You can donate to their cause here.

Samaritans of Harrogate

Samaritans are this year’s official charity partner of the London Marathon. In London there are Samaritans cheer points and emotional support hubs.

Locally the Samaritans of Harrogate will be in North Bar, Cheltenham Parade, from 12-3pm on Sunday, after the marathon. The event is part of an outreach strategy by the charity, as a standalone branch the Samaritans of Harrogate is entirely run by volunteers and they raise 100% of the funds themselves.

Samaritans of Harrogate said:

“We are inviting anyone to come along and see us who might be interested in what we do, or even to come and join us. There will be free cake and a soft drink as well as some goodies for any visitors.”

Interview with Maisie Adam: The Harrogate-born comedian talks Frank’s Fund and more

Lauren Crisp is a book editor, writer and keen follower of arts and culture. Born and raised in Harrogate, Lauren recently moved back to North Yorkshire after a stint in London, where she regularly reviewed theatre – everything from big West End shows to small fringe productions. She is now eager to explore the culture on offer in and around her home town. You can contact Lauren on laurencrispwriter@gmail.com

“It’s been a mad old time!” says Maisie, as we settle in for a chinwag. Harrogate-born Maisie most certainly has been busy, taking the comedy world by storm with appearances on everything from 8 Out of 10 Cats, to QI, Richard Osman’s House of Games, and the iconic Live at the Apollo. I’ve been following Maisie’s career since her first gigs, and it’s a delight to catch up with her in advance of her hosting the Frank’s Fund Comedy Gala at Harrogate Theatre on Monday 9 October.

It’s been a whopper of a year for Maisie and as well as completing her debut solo tour, she’s been focusing a lot of energy on a major passion of hers: football. She trotted across the globe to Australia to cover the Women’s World Cup and has launched a hugely successful podcast, Big Kick Energy, recently nominated for a Sports Broadcast Award.

Over the summer, she played in Soccer Aid for UNICEF: “I’d grown up watching it and suddenly you find yourself playing football with a load of your childhood heroes.” As if that wasn’t enough, Maisie also got hitched… the day before the match. “I didn’t ever envision it happening the day after my wedding. That was a tricky visit up to Old Trafford. I was very hungover.” I ask Maisie if she gets recognised on the street these days.

“Yeah, it does happen a fair bit now! I guess it’s the haircut. I dyed it for the World Cup. I thought I’d do a Gazza and go blonde… but some people thought it was for the Barbie movie.”

We have a giggle reminiscing about school days at St. Aidan’s, where we both went.

“I was definitely a bit of a loudmouth at school,” Maisie says. “I just liked making people laugh – it gave me quite a buzz. I never translated that into thinking I’d be a comedian.”

Maisie went on to drama school, returning to Harrogate after graduating, not sure what was next. It was at this point that comedy came to the fore.

“During school, I had a weekend job at Fat Face. I used to get so bored and end up daydreaming, and I’d write all these ideas out on till rolls. I put them all into a tin, in my bedroom. When I’d graduated from uni, I was living back home and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. Then I thought, ‘What about comedy? You’ve always been able to make people laugh.’ I found the tin, applied for a gig, and moved all my till roll about into a routine.”

Maisie went on to win the nationwide competition, So You Think You’re Funny? in 2017, and the rest is history. Maisie lives in Brighton these days but is still very much a proud northerner, often returning to visit family, or for work. I ask her what it’s like gigging on home turf.

“It’s really nice. It feels like you’ve got an in-joke with everybody in the audience. And you know what a small town is like – half the time you’re speaking to somebody in the audience and then you clock you know them. You’ll be like, ‘Oh, you gave me my first job!’ That genuinely happened – it was the guy who gave me a job at the village pub.”

I ask Maisie what it’s like being a northerner on the comedy circuit in general.

“People often see you as grounded and relatable and warm. I’ve been doing some voiceover work recently, and I’ll be in the booth with London-based directors who’ll say things like, ‘If you could just add a bit of warmth to it…’, and what they mean is: ham up your northern accent! But there’s also a bit of a snobbery; some people still assume that you live in a house with an outside toilet or that you rear cattle. But I don’t shy away from it. The worst thing is when I go back up north, to see my gran, and she tells me that I’m losing my accent. That’s when I start to panic.”

Maisie is back up in Harrogate very soon to host the annual Frank’s Frank Comedy Gala; 2023 will be the event’s fourth year, and it’s set to be bigger and better than ever. Maisie is a patron of Frank’s Fund, a charity set up by the Ashton family in 2019 following the death of their 14-year-old son, Frank, to Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. The fund raises money for vital research through the Bone Cancer Research Trust. Like Maisie, Frank attended St. Aidan’s, and when she was approached about putting on a comedy gig to raise money (Frank was a big comedy fan), Maisie jumped at the opportunity. She tells me a bit more about why she got involved.

“Frank and I went to the same school, but I never knew him, and I’ve never been directly affected by bone cancer, but I think it’s really important. Frank’s chances were the same as somebody who’d got that cancer 40 years ago, which just doesn’t make any sense to me. Frank was in the middle of high school when he passed away, and it could really easily have been my little brother; it could really easily have been anybody. I think it’s important that you don’t just wait to be directly affected by something. The funding for research into Ewing sarcoma is so woefully low that unless we have events that focus purely on raising money, the next little lad, or anyone, who gets it, isn’t going to stand much of a better chance.”

Held in St. Aidan’s’ hall for its first two years and online during the pandemic, the gala is moving to Harrogate Theatre this year, a move which Maisie says has helped abundantly:

“It’s a far more attractive gig for comedians. Harrogate Theatre is a favourite for loads of comedians. And it’s good to have an event which isn’t mostly aimed at St. Aidan’s families – it’s now an open Harrogate event and I think that’s the direction to aim for. “A really good indication of how this charity is growing is the fact we sold out this event before even announcing the line-up.”

And what a line-up it is. Maisie will be joined by Jon Richardson, Ivo Graham and Lindsey Santoro; it’s set to be an evening full of belly laughs.

“I’m chuffed to bits. Jon, of course – he’s a big name. Ivo is going to do brilliantly with a Harrogate crowd, and Lindsey just absolutely obliterated the Edinburgh Fringe, where she was on the tip of everyone’s tongues.”

The goal, Maisie explains, is to get to the point where

“everybody in Harrogate knows that every October, there is a comedy gala; we always get a good line up, it’s always a good night, and people want to go. You just buy a ticket because you love comedy.”

Maisie adds,

“Something that is really important for Frank’s family is to keep Frank’s name going and keep him in people’s minds. I think the way you do that is to make an event that people want to go to, regardless of whether they knew Frank.”

Frank’s Fund Comedy Gala is on at Harrogate Theatre on Monday 9 October, as part of the Harrogate Comedy Festival. You can donate to Frank’s Fund here.

Harrogate cancer charity holds virtual comedy night this Friday

A Harrogate charity is holding a virtual comedy night to raise funds for bone cancer research.

Frank’s Fund was set up in memory of Harrogate school boy Frank Ashton. Frank was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in 2016 and died in February 2019 aged 14.

Last year Frank’s family along with Maisie Adam, charity patron and comedian, organised a comedy night at St Aidan’s High School – Frank and Maisie were students here. It raised £13,000 for the charity.

This year it has been moved online and will include huge names such as Russell Kane, seen on Live at the Apollo and 8 out of 10 Cats, and Angela Barnes, from Mock the Week.

The event will be held at 7pm on Friday, December 11 via zoom. To buy a ticket, click here.

Frank’s family and Maisie Adam with some of last year’s comedians at the 2019 event.

All of the night’s proceeds go to Frank’s Fund. Frank’s family say one of their specific goals is to raise awareness for Frank’s type of cancer.

Frank went to the doctors four times before he was referred for further tests. The family says early diagnosis is really important and hopes more people getting involved with the charity will mean its message goes further.

Mike Ashton, Frank’s dad, said:

“It was a big success last year but this year is more difficult. With it being £10 for the link we have to sell more tickets which is a challenge, but we are doing well so far.

Frank used to really like comedy it was one of those things that really helped him during treatment, he really got a kick out of it.”

A charity auction is also included in the night’s running order. A signed Chelsea shirt and a holiday are up for grabs.

Maisie Adam said:

“I think it is a bonus because going virtual means we can have people from all over the UK. Since becoming a patron it has made me realise how close to home it can be, anyone you know could be affected by this type of cancer and that’s why its important for me to be a part of it.

“This year has been difficult for everyone but small charities have had a tough year so it’s more important than ever to support them.”