Diss widower compiling wife's undiscovered poems after finding them in a writing bureau

A widower, who discovered his a wife’s anthology of poems months after she died, is compiling them into a book for charity.

Mike Stannard, 77, found a selection of his wife Mary’s poems lying around in a writing bureau – months after her death to lung cancer in April, aged 61.

He described the “emotional moment” he read through the poetry, which covers everything from living in the country to her own life.

“I knew she wrote some poetry but I never actually read them while she was alive,” said Mr Stannard, who lives in Bridewell Lane, Botesdale, and spent 36 years married to Mary.

“Me and my son were looking through her writing bureau one evening to see if there was anything she had written and we found it in a folder.

“It was quite an emotional moment – some of them are really poignant.

“They’re about everyday life, but reading through the lines, you can see some are about her.”

Enlisting the help of his eldest daughter, social worker Michelle Barnes, 35, the dad-of-three is now going to put the poems together in a book, which he hopes will raise money for Cancer Research UK.

“I think Mary would probably be quite amused about it, but very happy, too,” said Mr Stannard.

“I have also lost a friend through cancer, so Cancer Research is a charity that is very close to our hearts.”

It is not the first time the retired carpenter has raised money for Cancer Research since the death of his wife, who worked as a teaching assistant.

Shortly after her death, a fundraising page was set up by Diss-based Rosedale Funeral Home to rake in £1,300 for the charity.