9 a.m. Well, good morning people. I am not sure where to begin this morning. I can only say a huge thank you to all of you who got in touch yesterday with your good will messages. Val, yes I think I know who you are and thank you very much indeed for the bottle of whisky you left on my doorstep and the lovely card. I shall be in touch with you shortly. If there is anyone else who contacted me and I have not returned your text or email yet, then I assure you I will do so today.

Well I am already working on how I can continue with the blog while I am at Clatterbridge. I am not sure yet how I will manage this but we are working on it.

I have never believed in miracles, although at the same time I am not sure as to who or what I should be most grateful to with regard to my recovery. If the boss up there gave me the cancer, then I am very grateful to him for removing it, or at least most of it. If it's all down to the doctors, chemo and nurses, then I am very grateful to them.

I am not sure if at this stage I am allowed to claim that a diet of fish and chips, and 5 tins of John Smiths each day, is a remedy for sorting out lung cancer. However, if others can make wild claims regarding apples and mars bars, then how about this as my swan song to cancer.

"If an apple a day keeps the doctor away and a Mars bar helps you work rest and play, then fish and chips and 5 tins of John smiths, keeps cancer at bay.

Talking of miracles, I remember when I was at the convent in Liverpool, each year the nuns would arrange for some of the very young blind kids to be taken to Lourdes in France. The kids would be taught how the Virgin Mary once appeared there and how handicapped people now come from all over the World to be cured. Of course these blind children returned to the convent as blind as they were before they left. As an older kid, I remember thinking to myself how cruel it was for the nuns to be filling these kids up with such hope. I do accept though that the nuns actually believed this, however, for me that did not justify the passing on of such false hopes to 5 year old kids.

I am reminded now of a story told to me by my old friend Finbar, now living in Port Erin.

The story goes of how Paddy went to Lourdes hoping to be cured from his back ache. After bathing in the waters he discovered that his back ache had completely gone. Unfortunately for Paddy, he was pulled up at customs at Dublin airport on his return. "What is in this bottle!" asked the customs officer. "Holy water from Lourdes!" said Paddy. "Well now," said the customs officer. "I think I better unscrew the top and taste it!" With that the customs officer unscrewed the lid and after tasting it discovered, that what was actually in the bottle was brandy. "So," said the customs officer. "Just how do you explain the fact that this bottle is full of brandy Paddy?" "Be Jayses," replied Paddy, "another miracle."

Well if Paddy's holy water turned into brandy in his suitcase on his way home from Lourdes, then I have no problem in claiming that my regular fish and chips, and of course John Smiths have sent my cancer packing.

Until tomorrow then folks, this is Tom Glassey with News at 9.30, leaping from bank to bank on the Silverburn River.