Ex-Magpie's Widow Appeals For Memory Walk

The widow of Newcastle United legend Charlie Crowe is urging Magpies supporters to join the Alzheimer's Society's Memory Walk at Baltic Square this weekend.

Ruth Crowe will officially open the charity's flagship fundraising and awareness-raising event on Saturday and is hoping members of the Toon Army will take part before heading to St James' Park for the Hull City game.

Ruth, whose FA Cup-winning husband had dementia when he died in North Tyneside Hospital in February 2010, says she is hoping families across the North-East will take part in the walk.

"It would be great if as many Newcastle supporters as possible joined me for the Tyneside Memory Walk because it's a good way to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society and raise awareness of the disease," Ruth said.

"Sadly there will be lots of Newcastle fans whose families will have been affected by dementia in some way and this is a good way for them to show their support for a cause that is close to my heart before going up to St James' Park to roar on the team."

Newcastle-born Charlie was the last surviving member of United's 1951 FA Cup-winning side and played 178 times for the Club.

"Those days he spent playing for Newcastle were very special," Ruth added.

"He played with a lot of fight and a lot of spirit. He was a real terrier and that's inspired me to want to do my bit for the Alzheimer's Society.

"I'm absolutely determined to do whatever I can to help people with dementia and their loved ones because I know from Charlie's experience that we need to do more to fight it. It's a terrible disease.

"Charlie didn't know he was dying by inches because it is a slow, long drawn-out illness. They should have called it the long goodbye.

"He had dementia for 12 years before he died at the age of 85. I still remember the assessment with Charlie being asked to remember how many things were on a tray under a cloth.

"It was a memory test and it was then that the doctors knew for certain that something was wrong.

"Charlie changed completely. When I used to go and see him in his care home I would see him walking up his corridor to his room and he would smile but he didn't have much conversation.

"When this illness hits them you are not prepared for it. You have lots of banter with them and lots of laughs and then it all starts to change but I'm glad Alzheimer's Society is doing all it can to make things better."

Ruth spoke out as she teamed up their daughter Lesley Edmondson and Newcastle-based Alzheimer's Society staff at Millennium Bridge to launch the second ever Tyneside Memory Walk.

She said: "It is important that we are having the Memory Walk because it raises money and it raises awareness which is vitally important to people with dementia and their carers.

"There are almost 35,000 people who have dementia in the North-East but nowadays there are lots of stories about dementia which shows we are moving in the right direction and it just shows how good it is to have things like Memory Walk."

Lesley added: "Everyone you talk to seems to have someone in their family who has dementia or they know someone who is affected by the disease.

"Now it is getting a lot of publicity which it deserves because it is possibly the biggest challenge facing our communities."

The Tyneside Memory Walk takes place at 11am on Saturday (20th September) at Baltic Square. To take part, or for more information, visit: http://www.memorywalk.org.uk.