ONE of Irvinestown’s best know adopted sons, Geoff Heaver, well-known for the humourous plays he has staged locally, has chosen a more serious topic for a book, his successful battle with Prostate Cancer.

A former Fleet Street photographer in the 60s, he was on first name terms with the pop stars of the day and was there to record Donald Malcolm Campbell disastrous attempt at the British speed record on land, in Conniston Water on 4 January 1967.

But, as he put it,’I calmed down after that’ and, today, Geoff, who left England 40 years ago, lives peacefully in Lisnarick along with his wife, Kate. The couple have three sons, Shea, Danny and Garrett who have long flown the nest.

His book will be launched next Wednesday, 21st October, in Mahon’s Hotel, Irvinestown between 7.30 – 9pm.

To use his own words, ‘it’s a somewhat humourous account of my prostate cancer journey from diagnosis during February, 2014 up to the completion of radiotherapy in the City Hospital in April this year’.

He would like everyone to come along.

Joe Mahon, the proprietor of Mahon’s Hotel and his family are sponsoring the launch and representatives from The Friends of the Cancer Centre will be there together with staff from the various outlets who will be selling copies purely on a strictly non-profit basis.

Copies of ‘Not Very PC, Eh Geoffwee?” are priced at £5, with all proceeds going to the Friends of the Cancer Centre.

Speaking this week to the Herald, he explained that if he had written the book as a straightforward narrative, ‘it would just bore people’.

“There are people who have read it and they have told me it’s good because it has a humourous side to it. Yet, at the same time, I have surreptitiously included a lot of information about what you go through, the sequence of treatments, the various machines, so it’s also a very instructional book as well.”

Indeed, the diagnosis and the various tests and preparation leading to the main part of the treatment i.e. radiotherapy in the Cancer Centre at the City Hospital, did not prevent Geoff continuing with his role as a re-enactor at The Ulster American Folk Park.

There, he can be seen and heard playing an Irish peasant, a plantation owner, a US ship’s captain, etc, all to a self-penned script.

Go along to the park in December and he will be playing Captain Mummer!