Aircraft enthusiast looks to spread his wings at Brave fashion show

For Alistair Stenton, flying a plane is easy.

But walking down the Brave catwalk alongside 23 other models for the Friends of Anchor fundraising event could be more challenging.

Mr Stenton has spent his life working in the aviation industry and feels more at home in the skies than on a fashion catwalk.

After being born in Yorkshire, he moved to Scotland and was brought up outside Edinburgh.

He moved to Sumbrugh in Shetland in 1979, before coming to Aberdeen in 1985.

The 61-year-old married man works as a compliance auditor and ensures helicopter flights from Aberdeen Airport are up to scratch.

He has an encyclopedic knowledge of aircraft and can list hundreds of models and makes off the top of his head.

His house has dozens of interesting memorabilia he has collected over the years too.

Career put on hold for cancer battle

But Mr Stenton’s career in aviation, something that he loves, has been put on hold while he fights cancer.

He was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in August 2022 after finding difficulty swallowing.

The doctors at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary had to put a tube down his throat to see a two-inch cancerous tumour in his oesophagus.

A scan did show there had been some minor spreading to his shoulder blade and sternum, but after immunotherapy his latest scan showed it had gone.

After his treatment, Mr Stenton says he has now reassessed what is important in life and is spending more time with his daughter Nicole and grandsons Lucas, 14, Theo, five, and Oscar, three.

He has also been keeping busy with watching the world snooker championships and hopes to get away for a week of fishing in the summer.

Weight loss left clothes hanging off

In the meantime, he has a wire mesh tube called a stent down his esophagus to open it up so he can eat.

At his worst point, he was not able to keep food down at all and dropped from 13 stone four pounds to 10 stone two pounds in a few months.

“My whole wardrobe was just hanging off of me like a clothes horse”, he said.

“I am now eating things like fish and chips and beef stew, in a pureed diet.

“But at least I am getting the nutrition now.”

After the weight loss, Mr Stenton’s wife Moira decided to take all his clothes to a Clan charity shop so others could make use of them.

She then went out and bought new shirts and trousers that actually fit him.

‘I can’t praise Friends of Anchor enough’

Now Mr Stenton, despite being comfortable in the skies, is looking forward to trying on more clothes at the Brave fashion show.

He said: “The Friends of Anchor team is there for all the cancer patients the moment you arrive in the ward for your treatment.

“They are there for you every day and offer you The P&J complimentary.

“They can be an ear to listen to if you want to have a moan, or cry, or a chat and a laugh.

“I just can’t praise them enough.

“I think the fact that most of them have gone through similar journeys to what you have done means you can open up your heart.”

Alistair now hopes to help out Friends of Anchor after their support for him.

He has set up his own JustGiving page and has raised more than £700 for the Anchored Together Appeal. Donations can be made on his JustGiving page.

Brave takes place at the Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen on May 4 and 5. For more information, or tickets visit the Friends of Anchor website.