Four Wheel & Two Wheel Tribute to York Cancer Victim

**Photo Opportunity**

You are invited to send a photographer/reporter to the naming ceremony of a new open top tourist bus, at 2pm on Friday, May 1, outside Clifford’s Tower, York, The bus is being named in honour of Joe Jagger, a former open top bus driver who died of cancer last year aged 63. If you wish to attend, please contact David Simister on 0845 389 26 26

Family and friends of a popular Yorkshire bus driver who died of cancer are commemorating his life in two very different ways - on two and four wheels!

Colleagues of Joe Jagger, who for the best part of this decade drove an open top tourist bus around the sights of York, are naming the bus he drove and which has recently been fully-refurbished, in his honour.

And, later this year to boost the appeal for the cancer centre that treated her father, daughter Jo is taking to two wheels for a Cycle Cuba challenge.

Jo, a weight management consultant from Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, said: “My dad was a very popular employee and well thought of by his colleagues.

“His motto was very much ‘live for the day’ and many of his former work-mates are themselves now living by this mantra. He had driven buses all his life and, for the best part of 10 years, drove open top tourist buses around York.

“My dad was diagnosed with cancer in March 2008 and, despite treatment at the Yorkshire Cancer Centre, died the following October, just before his 64th birthday.”

Jo, who will be joined at Friday’s naming ceremony by her mother Ann and brothers Paul and Nick, added: “As well as driving buses, my father raced stock cars and was a motor bike fan for much of his life’.

“In November, I’ll be riding a push bike around Cuba to raise money for the Yorkshire Cancer Centre, in support of the fantastic work it does for the community.

“My dad was well looked after by the team there. It’s a wonderful facility and, as cancer can affect anyone, I’m taking part in this challenge to raise not only money for the centre, but awareness of it too.”

The Yorkshire Cancer Centre is aiming to raise £10 million to boost clinical research, buy the latest generation of medical equipment and provide arts and garden projects to enhance the patient environment.

Peter Dew from bus operator Transdev said: “Joe was an incredibly popular driver. This particular bus was the very one he drove and the one he was helping refurbish when he was diagnosed.

“So high was Joe’s regard that this is the first bus in the fleet that has been named after a former employee. Joe’s colleague Dave Brigham, who also drove
the bus, is coming in on his day off to drive it to Clifford’s Tower for the naming ceremony.

“Joe was a fantastic man and a pleasure to work with – he is incredibly missed.”

Yorkshire Cancer Centre Appeal Director Sheila O’Shea said: “We are very grateful to Jo for taking up the Cycle Cuba challenge in memory of her father.

“The centre relies on donations from kind members of the community such as this, and we are honoured that Jo has decided to give back to us – I wish her the best of luck”.

The Yorkshire Cancer Centre serves a population of 2.6 million people across Yorkshire at its state-of-the-art unit.

Further information is available from Yorkshire Cancer Centre’s website www.yorkshirecancercentre.org.uk/yccappeal
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For more information, please contact:
David Simister, Different PR, on 0845 389 26 26