Lesley Fowkes

lesley fowkes

I am writing the saddest words today as I report of the tragic loss of lovely Lesley Fowkes who has passed away after the bravest battle against Motor Neurone Disease. Lesley and her devoted husband Martin joined the Society in February 2012 and in the space of those eight years, they made so many friends at the Blackpool conventions. I found Lesley to be such a warm-hearted person who would always wear a beautiful smile and always had the happy knack of making you feel just that bit special when she spoke with you. She was such a talented lady, a wonderful writer, she created a totally readable and immersive blog/website, chronicling her ukulele adventures and sharing her thoughts on so many subjects, including how she managed to face the dreaded illness that she was diagnosed with. "Life's A Ukafrolic! - Life For A Lady With a Ukulele Or Two" is such an achievement and tells the reader so much about this wonderful lady. She also created a Facebook group and named it "Where Eagles Fly" which also allowed Lesley to record her day to day highs, lows, struggles and moments when despite everything, Lesley could still take joy and happiness from someone or something that had happened to her that day. After Lesley and Martin joined the GFS, they would attend each of the four Blackpool conventions and it was not too long before Lesley was tentatively venturing on the stage to sing some of her lovely songs. Such a modest lady, she would play and sing and then at the end breathe a sigh of relief when in fact you could hear a pin drop as she held the audience's attention. It only seems a short time since she was diagnosed with this terrible illness and she must have had such fears and sadness at this devastating blow. It beggars belief to think how anyone would cope with such tragic news. Lesley rose to the occasion and immediately involved herself in a campaign to raise funds to find a cure for this awful condition. Her closest GFS friend, Caroline Stewart, dived straight in to help in any way that she could to support Lesley and her chosen charity. With the help of many GFS friends and the membership of the Society, thousands of pounds have been raised. Lesley never stopped fighting and never lost her lovely charm and grace. I sincerely hope that her blog pages will stay in place as they tell the reader so much about this talented, charming ukulele lady. I am aware that there have been many tributes to Lesley on social media and there is such sadness from all who had the pleasure of knowing her. On behalf of all the GFS, I send Martin, Alice and David our sincerest condolences. I feel that these words are inadequate, they do not have Lesley’s style or flair but they are all that I can offer for this delightful lady who will be sadly missed by all who knew her. Peter Pollard 28 October 2020