Retired teacher's book raising money for Stars Appeal

John Cox, from Salisbury, has written Memories for Rosemary in tribute to his wife, Rosemary, who has lived with dementia for several years.

All proceeds from the book will go to the Stars Appeal at Salisbury District Hospital.

John Cox with his book Memories for Rosemary. (Image: Stars Appeal)

John said: "Last December I wrote A Christmas Crown for Rosemary, a sequence of 15 sonnets about our lives together.

"I read it to Rosemary and was deeply moved by her response.

"When I'd finished, I asked if it was all right. She smiled and actually said, 'yes'.

"The poetry somehow sparked in her something beyond what talking might do.

"I've gone on to write more poems in different forms, with travel often a recurring theme, and have also written about memories of my life before I met Rosemary.

"Having shared the poems with family and friends, I would like them to reach a wider readership and to benefit the Stars Appeal, which does such hugely important work for so many people."

Rosemary, who still recognises people and communicates her understanding through smiles and facial expressions, dedicated her career to nursing.

She trained at St Thomas’ Hospital in London and later worked in coronary care at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.

After moving to Salisbury, she returned to nursing at Salisbury District Hospital, working at the Spinal Treatment Centre and later transferring to Salisbury Hospice.

Her final role was as a sister, liaising with medical staff across the hospital on palliative care.

John said: "Having given so much to so many during her working life, Rosemary is now the recipient of nursing care.

"Excellent nurses may not always make good patients, but she has become one."

Dave Cates from the Stars Appeal said: "It is incredibly generous that the proceeds from Memories for Rosemary are coming to the Stars Appeal to support our work with patients and families at Salisbury Hospital.

"We are very grateful to John for choosing to support our charity in this way and wish him every success with the book."

Copies of Memories for Rosemary are priced at £10 and are available from the Salisbury Information Centre in Fish Row.

The book can also be ordered online for £12, including postage and packaging, from memoriesforrosemary.org.

John hopes to share the power of poetry, memory and love while supporting a charity that continues to make a difference to patients and families across the Salisbury area.