An 82-year-old television pioneer, whose groundbreaking children's show defined a generation, is now using his drumming skills to fuel a vital mission: raising millions for life-saving cancer research.
From TV Studio to Fundraising Force
Peter Tomlinson, from Ombersley in Worcestershire, is best known as a creator and early presenter of the iconic 1970s children's series Tiswas. Today, his energy is focused on the Wyre Forest Fundraising Committee's ambitious drive to raise £1 million for Cancer Research UK. Remarkably, the committee has already surpassed that initial target, but Peter is determined to help double it.
His passion is deeply personal. In 2009, Peter was diagnosed with serious prostate cancer. "The consultant looked ashen-faced," Peter recalls. "He said, 'I have to tell you that you have prostate cancer, and you have it quite seriously.'" Given the statistics at the time, the prognosis was daunting.
A Groundbreaking Trial and a Personal Breakthrough
Following his diagnosis, Peter was offered a place on Cancer Research UK's CHHiP clinical trial. This revolutionary project aimed to test whether the number of radiotherapy sessions for prostate cancer could be safely halved by using stronger, more targeted doses. The trial compared the standard 37 sessions with either 19 or 20.
"I was lucky," said Peter. "I drew the long straw and got 19." The trial also introduced him to intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), a advanced technique that shapes radiation beams to match a tumour's precise contours, sparing healthy tissue and reducing side effects.
Peter credits his late wife, Ali, a doctor, with saving his life by insisting on further investigation when his PSA levels were slightly elevated. Tragically, Ali herself died from pancreatic cancer in 2020, a loss that has further galvanised Peter's fundraising resolve.
"If I'd been diagnosed 20 years before, I would probably have died from prostate cancer," Peter states bluntly. "The breakthroughs in treatment have been enormous... and they've only come from the fact that money has been raised to pay for these incredibly brilliant researchers. We can't stop there."
Beating the Drum for the Next Generation
Despite stepping down as committee chairman, Peter remains a driving force. He regularly plays drums with a jazz band at fundraising concerts, using his talent to gather support. He highlights the stark reality facing the nation: cancer cases are rising, with an estimated 722,000 new diagnoses expected in the West Midlands alone over the next 15 years. By 2040, one person in the UK will be diagnosed every two minutes.
"Cancer survival rates have doubled since the days when Chris and I and John Asher were fooling about with buckets of water and custard pies on Tiswas," Peter reflects. He points to leukaemia as a major success story and believes the same progress is possible for diseases like pancreatic cancer. "I know there will come a time when people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will be either managed or cured. That's why research needs to continue to be funded."
Peter is urging the public to consider monthly donations to Cancer Research UK, emphasising that sustained funding is key to accelerating progress. He also praises the charity's campaigning work to influence government policy on earlier diagnosis and faster treatment.
Paula Young, a spokesperson for Cancer Research UK in the West Midlands, said: "We're so grateful to Peter for all he's done." She added that while new technologies are creating a golden age of discovery, with nearly 1 in 2 people set to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, the work is far from over.
Thanks to supporters like Peter, Cancer Research UK has helped double cancer survival rates in the UK over the past 50 years. Now, the octogenarian drummer with the spirit of a rockstar is determined to power the next wave of breakthroughs, one beat at a time.
