Fun day to help former councillor

The Play in the Bay for Annie B-A will take place on Sunday on Newbiggin beach, from 3pm.

There will be refreshments, a quiz, raffle, beach games and more.

Tombola and raffle prizes have been donated by local traders. Raffle tickets are available from the Co-op, Newbiggin Maritime Centre and on the day.

The event is in aid of Annie Bromwich-Alexandra, who moved to Newbiggin by the Sea with her partner Kate, their two daughters and elderly parents in 2004.

She had a successful career in social housing until her retirement in 2017.

Annie was elected a town councillor in 2017, but just over a year later she began experiencing pain in her right arm and shoulder. A GP diagnosed arthritis and suggested physiotherapy.

But after four months of increasing pain and loss of function, blood tests showed that she had a blood cancer, myeloma.

The pain in her arm was a tumour that had broken her humerus. She was told the myeloma was incurable, yet treatable.

Annie embarked on an intensive course of chemotherapy, but after five months, she learned the treatment had not worked and that her myeloma was “difficult”.

She was transferred to the Freeman Hospital for more intensive chemotherapy in preparation for the innovative stem cell harvesting and she has recently undergone the procedure.

The event will raise money in Annie’s name for Myeloma UK, which funds blood cancer research.