Family shave, cut and tumble for cancer charity

I’M sorry, I know I’ve complained about this before but so many more examples keep popping up.

It’s the use of “an” in “an historic”.

I absolutely hate this. It’s right up there on my list of heinous crimes alongside queuejumping, dropping litter and the abuse of apostrophes.

A football report on radio last week told me – twice – that “an historic” result had been achieved. I almost wept.

I didn’t think the result had been overly remarkable anyway, but we’ll save my rant about hyperbole for another day.

The thing is, I don’t think anyone would say “an hysterical” or “an hippopotamus. So why “an historic”? Or “an hotel”, which is another H word often subject to this cruel treatment.

I don’t believe there is a cogent argument for using “an” when the word doesn’t start with a vowel sound.

If there is one, then someone please tell me what it is.

Come on. Anyone? No? I didn’t think so.

It is just lazy, or (worse) done as repetition of some other idiot doing it.

Is this what the world has come to? Idiots say stupid things and other idiots mimic them until we are all idiots?

WHEN Karen Bertellotti lost her papa to pancreatic cancer 15 years ago, it hit her hard.

It was such a cruel illness, indiscriminate in who it affected and sadly a condition that, directly or indirectly, will affect most people’s lives.

Last year was a memorable one for Karen. She turned 40, but it also turned out to be “the year of cancer”.

Her aunt passed away from lung cancer, her friend’s mum lost her battle with pancreatic cancer and her young cousin was diagnosed with sarcoma.

As a new year dawned, and Karen accepted she had reached another milestone, she decided she wanted to do something worthwhile – and something to help victims of cancer.

In order to encourage people to part with cash, it would need to be something spectacular. People had always commented on her beautiful long curly hair, so she decided to ask people to sponsor her to shave it off.

It was the closest thing she could think of to a fundraiser that would resonate with people affected by cancer, many of whom lose their hair through chemotherapy.

When the mum-of-three told her family, she expected them to be shocked.

But, instead, they offered to join in.

Hairdresser husband Nick Gilmore – who lost his papa to lung cancer – suggested doing a 24-hour sponsored haircutting session at the couple’s salon.

And son Cian, 15, came up with the idea of shaving his head too, just like mum.

Daughter Skye, 8, who is a keen gymnast, proposed a 10-hour gymnastics marathon.

Even Popi, 7, had her long locks chopped off and donated them to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that makes wigs for children suffering hair loss.

Costume supervisor Karen decided she wanted to donate her hair too – but joked that, with too much white in it, she may need to find a charity making wigs for adults instead!

It became a fun family project, with everyone preparing for their challenge and collecting as much money for cancer charities as they could.

Recently, the Gilmorotti’s (as they’ve become known) cut, chopped and cartwheeled their way to a successful fundraiser, raising an impressive £1600, and smashing their original target.

Karen’s and Cian’s heads feel a little colder, Nick has blisters, Skye needs to put her feet up and Popi has a new hairstyle… but they all agree it was a great day in aid of lots of great causes – and a hair-raising experience.