Anne Nolan - Stronger Together: How Were Living While Fighting

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First published by Ebury Press in 2021

Copyright Linda and Anne Nolan, 2021

The moral rights of the authors have been asserted

Cover design by the Brewster Project
Cover Photo Liz Mcauley

This book is a work of non-fiction based on the life, experiences and recollections of the author. In some cases, names of people, places, dates, sequences and the detail of events have been changed to protect the privacy of others.

ISBN: 978-1-473-59186-8

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

Theres a scene in the film Titanic where the character of older Rose, played by the late Gloria Stuart, describes how the ill-fated vessel was named by some the Ship of Dreams.

We could relate to that feeling of pure joy and excitement when we boarded the MSC Grandiosa on 28 February of last year, to embark on our own dream adventure sailing on the high seas.

For the first time in our adult lives, we four sisters had found ourselves single; so when a TV company asked us to come on board one of the biggest cruise ships in the world and sing again for a new eight-part reality show called The Nolans Go Cruising on digital channel Quest Red, well, we couldnt say no to our own TV show together.

Joined by Coleen, 55, and Maureen, 66, we were queens of the world as we floated around the Mediterranean on a luxurious liner, feeling like royalty and living the high life with not a care or worry beyond planning our holiday outfits and preparing for a performance of our biggest hit, Im In The Mood For Dancing, in front of our fellow passengers on the final night of the trip.

From five-star-level wining and dining to visiting incredible European destinations, the entire experience was the holiday of a lifetime.

And as Nolan fans well know, us siblings have endured many public feuds over the years, so we cant blame them if they initially thought this wasnt going to be plain sailing, wondering with four very different woman all bundled together in one place 24/7 for two weeks how long it would take for them to hit the waves and be shipwrecked.

Even we had a teeny bit of concern that old wounds might be sliced back open, while Coleen, the youngest of us, publicly voiced her fears that there was a chance that after the show we could end up getting off the cruise ship and never speaking to each other again.

Its likely that Maureen, like ourselves, was also feeling slightly apprehensive; having worked in the public eye and dealt with the media for years, we know they love a row as it makes great telly.

But fortunately for our sibling relationship, the opposite happened. It was smooth sailing all the way and with no horrible stories or arguments on or off camera; we simply reconnected as a family, and it may sound a little corny or clichd, but the love really did overflow during the holiday. We became the closest as sisters we had been since first breaking into the world of pop music as a band nearly 50 years ago.

But as we danced up a storm together night after night at the ships disco while rejoicing in our good fortune, enjoying glasses of champagne while laughing and joking about little silly crushes on some of the handsome men we had seen on our travels, little did we know that we were about to be swept away by a storm of tsunami proportions that would test any family.

The first waves of the coronavirus pandemic were beginning to cause a ripple, but that was not the sinister disease that was to turn our worlds upside down, although it has brought its own kind of misery and suffering.

No, it was not Covid-19 creating havoc in our bodies, but another insidious disease running amok inside us both cancer.

Cancer has blighted and haunted the Nolan family for more than 20 years, robbing us of our beloved sister Bernie at only 52.

So, when we found out it had come for both of us at the same time, we decided to team up and fight it all the way together as sisters, because we are stronger together.

This story is about how the unbreakable bond and strength of sisterly love and female friendship has helped us deal with the raw blows and curveballs life has thrown at both of us over the last two decades.

Its not a diary as such as we are rubbish at remembering dates! But each chapter explores our journey dealing cancer and the experiences we have shared along the way as sisters and a family, mixed with a dollop of good old Nolan humour and wisdom.

We also address universal issues relating to cancer, such as losing your hair, and how we managed to deal with the unpleasant side effects cancer treatment gives you.

You may have picked up this book having just been diagnosed with cancer yourself or know someone with it, or perhaps just want to read about two women who tell it like it is. And while this is not a self-help book and we are not offering any medical advice or claiming special knowledge, we hope you find it helpful and it brings you some comfort to know that, if youre facing adversity, youre not alone in your struggles.

All our love,

Anne and Linda X

At one stage it was touch and go whether we would make it on board the ship last February. Italy was one of the first European countries to be hit badly by the emerging Covid pandemic, and we were supposed to be boarding the Grandiosa in Genoa in northern Italy.

But an outbreak of coronavirus in the Italian city put paid to that plan and the programmes producers were forced to divert their schedule at the last minute.

It was an anxious wait to hear if our route could be changed with just hours to go, and after a tense few hours, we were given the all-clear to embark and set sail.

We would like to say that no one had any idea at that stage how serious things would get with the pandemic. When we were waiting to board the ship last year, the World Health Organization hadnt even referred to it as a pandemic. And in fact, they didnt declare it as one until 11 March, by which point our holiday was nearly over.

This sailing trip was the first time the four of us had properly been together 24/7 in about 20 years, and we all wanted it to go well for so many different reasons.