“The support we’ve had is outstanding. Just having people to talk feels good.”
Alison, Richard’s wife
When you’re born and brought up in a station house and your father and grandfather worked in the railways, there’s a fair chance that’s the track your life will take too.
It certainly worked out that way for Richard Howe, who, after growing up in Bedfordshire, in a family that ate, drank and slept trains, started work as a 16-year-old in the ticket office at Kings Cross.
More than four decades later, Richard, 57, is hoping that, with support from St Christopher’s, he’ll be able spend the rest of his life at home, with his family, beloved train collection and the sound of trains passing just 50 metres away.
After a career that saw him work at two more of London’s famous termini, Liverpool Street and Victoria, Richard was driving for his night shift as Train Running Controller, at Three Bridges, in February 2023, when he started to feel unwell.
He decided to return home and made it to the front drive before having a seizure.
It wasn’t until six months later, after meningitis and epilepsy had been suspected, that an MRI scan showed Richard had a brain tumour. After two months of radiotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital, doctors referred him to St Christopher’s.
Alison, Richard’s wife – who he met for the first time at Victoria station – says her initial reaction to the referral was one of relief.
“We went for our first meeting at St Christopher’s feeling positive because we hadn’t had much support and so we went looking to see what help they could give us,” Alison says.
Since that first appointment in January, Richard and Alison say they’ve received helped in abundance and that’s helped them feel thoroughly reassured.
“Whenever there is a problem and we phone up, someone will immediately call back and provide the help we need.”
“It’s so nice to have someone at the end of the phone that you can tell what’s happening and they’ll advise us what to do or organise the help we need,” Alison says on Richard’s behalf, as he now struggles to recall words.
In fact, with Richard’s condition deteriorating a bit in recent weeks, leaving him weak on his right side and struggling with mobility, the hospice has arranged for carers to come in and help get him up in the morning and the occupational therapists have arranged for a hoist, wheelchair and hospital bed to be installed in their home in South Northwood.
That lack of mobility is particularly cruel for Richard as, less than 20 metres from their backdoor, just before you reach the real railway line, stands a very smart new shed that houses his collection of hundreds of trains and a large track. It was only installed in April last year but until they can fit a suitable ramp it will remain out of his reach.
That’s not to say Richard hasn’t been able recently to indulge the passion that saw him travel almost every UK rail route and many in Europe.
Unbeknownst to Richard, his colleagues had been plotting to mark his 41st anniversary of working on the railways. So, on 28 February, Alison took him to Victoria, ostensibly for a celebration lunch – just for the two of them.
“Richard was already in tears just when his father and sister turned up for the lunch,” she says.
Then they returned to Victoria where Alison told him there were ‘one or two’ colleagues who wanted to say hello.
“When we got to Platform 2 there were more than 150 people there and a locomotive with its name covered up. The director from Network Rail unveiled it and revealed the name – Richard Howe.”
As well as organising for the refurbished freight locomotive to be named after him, Richard’s colleagues also collected enough money for the couple to dine out twice in fancy London restaurants – a treat they used to enjoy together every few months.
“Until he got ill, I never knew how many friends Richard had. As soon as his colleagues found out he wouldn’t be going back to work they were practically queuing at the door to come and see him.”
Officially, Richard is still employed by Network Rail, but with his sick pay running out soon, he and Alison, who is juggling her job in governance with the NSPCC with her role as a carer, are grateful for the help St Christopher’s social workers have provided with the application for Employment Support Allowance.
“The plan at the moment, so long as it is practical, is that I would prefer to stay at home. It’s just something about it that means I want to stay here.”
Richard
Richard says that while he finds it hard to look forward, he and Alison are both keenly awaiting the complementary therapies sessions they are booked in for at St Christopher’s.
With all the support they’ve received over the last three months, Richard has his mind set on where he’d like to live out his days.
Alison adds “I just want him to be comfortable. Knowing we have St Christopher’s to turn to if we have any issues is very comforting.”
I just don’t think we would have coped at all without them and they just make you feel like nothing is too much trouble.
Alison
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