James has lived a full and active life. From his early days on the family farm to serving in the Royal Navy, and later working on farms in Zambia, his story spans continents and careers. “I went to agricultural college, and my father was a farmer. But eventually I got fed up with milking cows, so I joined the Navy,” he says with a chuckle.
Although his career took many different paths, James’s greatest passion emerged later in life – and to a very different rhythm. “I first started dancing 20 years ago, and I’ve loved it ever since,” he says. With his wife Jane by his side, James has danced across the world, and even launched a salsa class in Bridgwater with his daughter. “I’ve had some really good times dancing.”
In 2015, everything changed. A routine GP appointment led to further tests, and then a phone call the next morning. “That was the start of everything going wrong,” James recalls. He was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, which had already spread to his ribs and spine.
The impact of the illness has reached into every part of his life. “There’s a tumour on my spine that’s pressing on my spinal cord, so now I’ve lost some of the movement and sensation in my legs. It’s affected my hands a bit too. I found I couldn’t hold the pen very well and my writing wasn’t very good. It makes you lose confidence.”
He also lost the ability to dance.
Your life just sort of changes completely. It’s a bit like a bereavement because the person you were no longer exists.”James
James was first referred to St Margaret’s Hospice in May. A visit from Mary, one of the hospice’s community nurses, brought reassurance and practical help. “She came out to see me and said I was entitled to an attendance allowance,” James explains. “That was brilliant because it meant I could get people to do jobs that I can’t do anymore – like mowing the lawn and taking care of the hedges.”
Soon after, James began attending the Sunflower Centre. “I was pleased when I was referred to the hospice because my whole social life had come to a complete end,” he says. “I just thought it would be nice to meet different people from a different angle.”
At the hospice, James found support for both body and mind. Physiotherapy, lymphoedema treatments, and complementary therapies helped him rebuild strength, build his confidence, and find relief from anxiety and pain. “My right leg is more or less normal now, and I’ve got more feeling and movement in it.”
Just as important as this was the sense of companionship James found at the Sunflower Centre.
It made my self-confidence better because I could walk around and talk to people. And the volunteers would see me and say ‘oh here’s the dancer.’ It was nice to be recognised.”James
In the first week there, James also discovered an unexpected route back to his military roots. “There was a lady who gave a talk on when she joined the army and about support groups for veterans,” he says. “She got me joined up with the group in Bridgwater. One Sunday a month, they have a breakfast morning which is nice.”
St Margaret’s is proud to support veterans like James, helping them reconnect with their identity and community through tailored support, referrals to support groups, and peer connection.
James is incredibly grateful for his time at the Sunflower Centre.
I always put in a donation when I go to the Sunflower Centre – more than twice the value of going to a dance – because I get more than twice the value of a dance out of going.”James
Since telling us his story, James has found his way back onto the dance floor. With Jane beside him, he returned to a dance he once thought was lost to him, managing three full-length dances and several shorter ones. It may have seemed like a small moment, but reclaiming that crucial part of himself meant the world to him. He is forever grateful to everyone who helped to make that happen.