THROUGH the pages of the Northwich Guardian I would like to thank all the friends and supporters of Mark, my son, who ran in the London Marathon.

For many of you, your memories of Mark will be as a rather chubby teenager - and especially for his portrayal of The Lion in my production of The Wizard of Oz, with Sandiway Junior Theatre.

The boy has now grown into the man, and at 6ft 3ins has become a fine athlete.

Along with that character he portrayed he is not the least cowardly, with a heart to match. Mark ran those long 26 miles for The Children's Trust Hospital for brain damaged children, in Tadworth, Surrey, where he works as their executive chef.

To date he has raised over £1,500 - part of this through the support of those who remember him in Hartford, as a pupil of Hartford High, student at Mid Cheshire College, Scout and Venture Scout.

If anyone would like to help Mark increase the amount he has raised Gwyn or I, on behalf of him and these children, would be pleased to hear from you.

I, for my part, would again like to say thank you to our many friends and my colleagues at AMEC on behalf of those children who are unable to.

GILL JONES, School Lane, Hartford.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.