A MAN who has twice beaten cancer put his good health to great use - walking 10,000 steps every day for a month to boost a charity.

John Watson, 76, of Nun Monkton, took on the challenge to raise money for Marie Curie by walking 10,000 steps, up and down his village, every day in March - raising £2,240.

And he completed the task last Wednesday, as fellow villagers turned out to support him in his final leg.

John, who has lived in Nun Monkton for 40 years, said: “It was a total surprise. The villagers turned out, most dressed in yellow, and carrying daffodils.

“The plan was to walk 10,000 steps around the village every day of March and there were some very cold and wet days at the beginning.

“It was nice to finish on a lovely day. I was wet through at the end but that was sweat not the rain.

“And it was lovely for the villagers to turn out to support me. Some had trouble keeping up with me because I had to finish the task.”

John, who is now retired, worked in life insurance and pensions. He recovered from bowel cancer in 2011 and, more recently. esophageal cancer in 2019. He was full of praise for the NHS, adding: “The NHS have been absolutely wonderful. I had treatment in York, Harrogate and Leeds and can’t praise them enough.

“One of the nurses apologised for ‘messing me about’. I had nine appointments in 10 days. That’s not messing about, that’s unbelievable!”

And last Wednesday the completion of his 31-day task wasn’t the only reason John had to celebrate - it was also his 51st wedding anniversary.

John and wife Pauline, 75, have two children, Helen (Burdette), who is married to Chris and lives in the village, and Adam, who is married to Karen and lives in York.

John and Pauline also have six grandchildren.