This walk is for you dad!

When Mike Burrows won a driver experience day on the Bure Valley Railway for raising the most cash at a charity event for Macmillan it was a dream come true.

For the past year he had been undergoing intensive treatment for multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer, including painful stem cell transplant.

But because he wanted to do what he could for Macmillan Cancer Support, the charity which has given him and his family so much support during the last two years, he still took part in the walk and had planned to again this year.

However, just last month he was too ill to take part in his driver experience day and he died at home on Tuesday aged 70 a month before the walk.

Now, in his memory, his daughter Sarah Nico is going to take his place in this year's nine mile Bure Valley Railway Macmillan walk with his beloved black labrador Boris.

His widow, Wendy, their son Ian and his wife Liz, eldest daughter Lisa and her husband Ian and most of Mr Burrow's six grandchildren are also going to take part in the event's three mile walk as well as friends from their home village, Holme Hale, between Dereham and Swaffham.

'There are a lot of people suffering with it and they need the funds,' Mrs Nico said.

Mike, a retired financial advisor, keen caravaner, walker, reader and model train collector, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in July 2006, a month after his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Despite gruelling treatment and six bouts of pneumonia, he kept his sense of humour, winding doctors up and singing songs like Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?, interest in politics and was always concerned for his wife.

'His sense of humour was incredible, said Mrs Nico. 'If he couldn't think what to say he would start singing.

'He never gave up on anything he thought was important. His mantra was that we are responsible for everything that happens to us.

'He was not responsible for getting cancer but he said he was responsible for how he dealt with it and how it impacted on his life.

'It was amazing how he dealt with these things.'

He gave talks to GPs and the Macmillan Unit, which he praised for the care they gave him.

Sarah says they now want to do what they can to raise awareness and money for Macmillan.

Mr Burrows was born in Manchester, where he raised his family.

They moved to Essex where he commuted to London and then to Watton in 1978 from where he went to work in Norwich, first for his own company and then Norwich Union and Allied Dunbar.

He was a member of the Masons and helped them move their lodge to Barn Ruche at Watton where a bar is named after him.

Mr Burrow's funeral was yesterday at St Mary's Church in Watton.

The Bure Valley Railway walk for Macmillan is on April 4 and 5 with a choice of a nine or three mile walk with a free trip on the narrow gauge stream railway. To register call 01603 626433 or go to www.macmillan.org.uk/walk