As one of Aberdeen’s original Wags, Edna Cadenhead is no stranger to a bit of glamour.
But this year, she will be donning her gladrags for a different cause as she enjoys the spotlight of Courage on the Catwalk.
The Granite City woman is the oldest model in this year’s line-up, but from her perspective, age is just a number and it doesn’t stop her from maintaining a sunny disposition.
That explains why Mrs Cadenhead is helping raise funds for a cause which is very close to her heart, the Anchor Unit at ARI, where she is currently receiving weekly chemotherapy treatment.
The octogenarian, who first became unwell last August, was given numerous scans and tests on her 81st birthday, at which point she received some unwelcome news.
She said: “After blood tests, everything was like a whirlwind – the doctors and nurses acted swiftly and I was told that day I had a tumour, which was most likely cancerous, on my pancreas.”
Shortly afterwards, she met her surgical team, and had an operation to remove the tumour, but she is continuing to receive treatment.
Speaking about her weekly visits to the Anchor Unit, Mrs Cadenhead said: “They are a breeze. The nurses, staff and all the girls are so nice, always upbeat, with plenty of banter. This rubs off on the patients and there is no doom and gloom.”
Her positivity has already proved infectious at the group’s rehearsal nights, where the models are given professional modelling tips by the team at Premiere Productions.
Her granddaughter-in-law Sarah Black, who attends rehearsals with her, said: “Edna is always the life and soul of any family events.
“She is due to finish chemo the week after the Courage shows and I know her family and friends can’t wait to see her strut her stuff to celebrate this journey.”
Mrs Black’s involvement up to this point has been crucial – without it, Mrs Cadenhead’s application form wouldn’t have found its way to the Friends of Anchor office in the first place.
She created a fake survey for Mrs Cadenhead to complete, and included the questions on the application form to coax the answers out of her.
“I never suspected a thing” said Mrs Cadenhead, who admits she was shocked and surprised when she received the call to say she had been selected for the line-up, but managed to keep “very calm”.
Her surname may be familiar to Aberdeen FC aficionados, because her husband Andy Cadenhead played for the Dons in the 1950s and early 1960s.
She herself is well rehearsed when it comes to getting glammed up and is clearly relishing the opportunity to moonlight in the spotlight at the Beach Ballroom.
She added: “I certainly am, although it has been a while since I have had the full works with hair, make-up and styling.”
“It is only when you attend the hospital that you realise where the money raised for Friends of Anchor goes.
“So let’s hope the generosity of the people of Aberdeen continues to grow. Every penny really does make a difference.”
