Earlier this year I saw a message on Twitter that affected me
in a surprisingly profound way. 

The light-hearted feed "Male Political
Haircuts" had provided a lot of laughs during lockdown, sharing some of
the weird and wonderful barnets of the political world. When I shaved my head I had some lovely chats with the owner, Simon, and he continued to check in and see how my streamlined bonce was doing.

It was a great shock to find out that Simon had passed away,
and a testament to his gentle good humour that the death of a stranger actually made me feel I had lost a friend, however brief our acquaintance.

His brother Nick has carried on in fine style, and would
like to do something in memory of Simon, so I have agreed to join several others in braving the shave on what would have been Simon's 55th birthday, 1st March 2021.

Since I've maintained the sleek scalp, with Simon's and now
Nick's regular encouragement, I will be shaving my beloved beard. Perhaps you could sponsor me on the basis of how many chins are lurking beneath it?

The Teenage Cancer Trust is a great cause, and one I'm
delighted to support. Hopefully this strange set of circumstances can do some good for those going though a terrible time.