A Wiltshire cricket club chairman has kept a promise to a friend who died from cancer by having his head shaved to raise funds for charity.

Steve Wordley, the chairman of Trowbridge Cricket Club, pledged to Steve Cameron that he would shave off his hair if his friend’s hair fell out during chemotherapy treatment.

Mr Wordley said: Steve was suffering from cancer and was worried about losing his hair during the chemotherapy treatment.

“I made a promise to him that if he did, I would shave off my hair, but in the end, he didn’t lose much hair so it didn’t happen.”

The close friends were both members of Trowbridge Cricket Club and played together in a local folk group, The Boghouse Boys in clubs and pubs in the Trowbridge area and beyond.

“We were quite well known around Trowbridge. I played accordion and ukelele and Steve played the banjo.

“There were five of us in the band and we covered Irish and early American folk music.”

Sadly, Mr Cameron died eight years ago in his late 50s.

“Steve had bowel cancer and just after he died I had the same thing. I had a major operation but luckily I survived it,” Mr Wordley said.

“I hadn’t been diagnosed then but Steve was worried about losing his hair during chemotherapy.

“So I made a promise to him that if he started losing his hair the pair of us would get our heads shaved together and do it for the Dorothy House charity.

“Luckily, he didn’t lose hardly any hair. He lost a little but not much, so we didn’t have to have our heads shaved.

“When I decided I was going to have my beard shaved off I thought I would try and raise some money for Dorothy House by having my hair shaved off as well.”

Steve Wordley undergoes a head and beard shave to keep a promise to his friend who has died. Steve Wordley undergoes a head and beard shave to keep a promise to his friend who has died. (Image: Trevor Porter)

Mr Wordley kept his promise on Saturday, October 12 as the hair and beard shave went ahead at the County Ground pavilion in Lower Court.

The shave has raised more than £2,000 – which will be split equally between the Dorothy House Hospice at Winsley and the Trowbridge Cricket Club restoration fund to repair and restore the woodwork on the front of the club’s historic pavilion.

Mr Wordley added: “My wife Gail is very pleased that the beard has gone but I’m now having to wear a bobble hat because my head is cold.”