There was a surprise appearance, a police inspector’s bum and, of course, tears and laughter as charity fashion show Brave opened at P&J Live on Thursday night.
A packed audience danced and cheered for the 23 men in the Friends of Anchor annual fundraiser for cancer, who sashayed their way down the catwalk waving to friends and family.
The line-up of models was aged all the way from 25-year-old Aiden Cowie from Bridge of Don to sprightly 90-year-old Alastair Henderson from Bucksburn, who stole the show with the moves of a man 20 years his junior.
All 23 have experience of cancer or blood disorders, and have spent the past three months practicing for the show, held at P&J Live for the first time.
The hard work paid off in style as the crowd roared through three costume changes and an emotional finale.
At the end of the evening, organisers revealed the night had raised a staggering £67,000.
‘Seeing my family and friends was unbelievable’
After the show a delighted Mr Cowie, who in 2017 underwent surgery for a rare cancer in his sinuses, hailed the Friends of Anchor team and his fellow participants.
“Amazing,” he said.
Co-model Roy Mearns, 67 called the event “out of this world”.
“We’re all in the same position,” continued the former farmer from Inverurie, who has non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “It has just been something else to do this with all these great people.”
Donald Ross, 49, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma last year and said he is stunned it has led him to the P&J Live stage.
The managing director of whisky-industry firm Cockayne added: “When I signed up for Brave, I don’t think I really knew what I was walking into and through the process there was a couple of times I didn’t know if I had done the right thing.
“I struggled at the first couple of rehearsals and then realised I just had to go for it, it’s a privilege to be up there. And stepping out onto that stage and seeing my family and friends in the crowd was unbelievable – I loved it.”
A rousing start to the evening by the Alumni Choir
The night started with a surprise appearance from a choir made up of past participants of Brave and also Courage on the Catwalk, the female edition of the show, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday.
Singing the Ben E. King stalwart Stand by Me, 54 former models representing every past show since Courage started in 2013 and Brave in 2107 got the evening off to an emotional start.
Speaking to the P&J after taking part in the choir, Paula Garrow said she returned to the stage because “I love a challenge”.
Paula, a beauty therapist from Inverurie, was part of Courage 2023 after overcoming a breast cancer diagnosis 12 years ago.
“It was really exciting,” she said. “But none of us were nervous; we’ve all been on the catwalk before.”
Crowd raise the roof for Brave Dave
The current Brave intake soon took to the stage, modeling casual wear and strutting their stuff to songs including Pitbull’s Fireball and Hot Stuff by Donna Summer.
The audience witnessed some questionable dance moves, but there was no doubting the commitment and enthusiasm on show.
Some of the biggest cheers were for Dave Fowler, the former GP who looked after patients in Cove Bay and Kincorth for 35 years.
The 65-year-old, who has an incurable blood cancer, was helped down the catwalk by the hosts but still smiled and waved for the audience.
The men were dressed in formal wear for the second walkdown, with the clothes supplied by local fashion retailers including Slaters and Georgian Dress Hire.
As the final person to do his walkdown, 90-year-old Mr Henderson made the most of his moment, serenading the crowd even as the final song ended.
“That’s the first time we’ve run out of music,” said Erica Banks, Friends of Anchor’s head of communications and one of the hosts for the evening.
A cheeky message from policeman Mark
Status Quo’s Rocking all Over The World got the third and final walkdown started, with the 23 models wearing kilts.
The tartan gave model Mark Stephen, a former north-east police inspector, a chance to send a cheeky message to the audience.
As he walked to the front of the stage, he turned around and lifted his kilt to reveal a large ‘Thank You’ written across his underwear.
The evening ended with Friends of Anchor chair and co-founder Sir Jim Milne, who is also chairman and managing director of Aberdeen-headquartered engineering group Balmoral, thanking staff, volunteers and the audience.
But addressing the Brave models he added: “The real heroes of the night are the boys in front.
“You were very shy when you first came in but by the time you’d finished you were giving it laldy.”
A show tinged with sadness
The evening was especially emotional for the families of those on stage.
Brave usually has 24 models but this year was one short after Stuart Davidson passed away two weeks ago, aged 66.
Speaking about watching her husband Mr Mearns on stage, Linda Mearns said: “It was fantastic. And surreal.
“But the boys did very well.”
The Brave men will return for a second show on Friday night, while the Courage on the Catwalk ladies will walk on Saturday and Sunday. Click here for a photo gallery of Thursday night’s action.
You can read just some of the inspirational Brave 2024 stories here:
- Aberdeen grandad, 90, to be oldest Brave model as 2024 stars unveiled
- Bridge of Don’s Aiden Cowie: Cancer took my eye, and now I’m a stand-up comedian
- ‘It made me a better person’: Cove Rangers club doctor on his terminal blood cancer
- Former north-east police inspector Mark Stephen says prostate cancer is his toughest case
- Inverurie’s Roy Mearns is determined to see the bright side of terminal cancer
- Courage on the Catwalk and Brave: First husband and wife to dance down the catwalk reveal emotional cancer journey
And the full list of Brave 2024 participants:
Aiden Cowie, 25, Bridge of Don
Alastair Henderson, 90, Bucksburn
Bill Hutcheon, 72, Maud
Bob Barr, 72, Alford
Brian Ewen, 59, Blackburn
Brian Noble, 62, Fraserburgh
Colin Bowie, 61, Kintore
Dave Berston, 59, Kirkwall
David Fowler, 65, Blairs
Donald Ross, 49, Longside
Graham Berry, 74, Westhill
Greg Napier, 37, Inverurie
Hugh Sutherland, 67, Meikle Wartle
Jack Grant, 67, Ellon
Jim Grimmer, 64, Kingswells
Josh Lavers, 28, Glenlivet
Murray Jamieson, 40, Aberdeen
Lewis Walker, 28, Kincorth
Mark Cunningham, 33, New Deer
Mark Stephen, 52, Udny Green
Roy Mearns, 67, Inverurie
Ronald Gordon, 65, Aberdeen
Ian Rose, 55, Aberdeen
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