"So many people haven’t even heard of ovarian cancer, passing on the message is what it's all about"

Back in the 70s, retired railwayman Chris Milner inherited an old railway station name plate. He had no idea of the impact it would one day have.

When Chris' friend and colleague Dave sadly passed away, he was left with an unusual gift. For years, unsure of where to place it, the railway name plate lay in his garage, until earlier this year when he decided that it deserved to be seen. He offered it to a local restaurant he frequented called The Junction and the owner gladly accepted as the sign was in-keeping with the existing décor.

It didn’t take long for a few customers to warn the café owner that the sign was worth a lot of money and he should be careful with it perched on a luggage rack near the door. Shortly after, a woman had asked if the sign was for sale, as her husband was a collector. The couple offered £700 for the sign. Chris explained he had lost his wife Carol to ovarian cancer just a few years ago so if he sold the sign, the proceeds would be donated to Ovarian Cancer Action. On hearing the money would go to a charity, the collector upped his price to £900 and left the restaurant the new owner of a piece of railway history. 

Chris’s generous £900 donation is just the tip of the iceberg. Since Carol’s passing in 2016, the Milner family has held sponsored walks, awareness talks, choir concerts and taken part in bucket collections. Chris and Carol’s son Laurence even cycled from Glasgow to London, raising almost £3,000. Malcolm, their eldest son, trained for the Marathon and raised sponsorship, but sadly had to withdraw due to injury. 

Feeling inspired? Click here to find out how you can support ovarian cancer research.