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CONRAD JONES WAS "GETTING A SHAVE" AT THE BARBERSHOP 19:00, 30 May 2025 A granddad feared the worst when he was told devastating news after visiting a barbershop. Conrad Jones, 59,

was "getting a shave" in a barber shop when he noticed a strange lump on his neck, in October 2023. The granddad-of-one, from Netherley, told the ECHO how the lump raised

concerns, and he immediately went to see his GP, who referred him to the hospital for biopsies and scans. In December 2023, just seven days before Christmas, Conrad was told he had cancer in

his neck. He said: "They told me it was secondary, but they didn't know where the primary cancer was because it hadn't shown up on any of the scans. "When they told me I

had cancer in my neck, I assumed the worst. When they did my scans, it went from not knowing what it was to it being in my neck; it was worrying." In the new year, Conrad had surgery

to remove his tonsils and part of his tongue in hope of finding the primary cancer. Thankfully, they found it, said Conrad. He said: "It was in my right tonsil. Once it had been

removed, I started six weeks of gruelling radiotherapy and chemotherapy. "I had five cancers in my head and neck; I instantly assumed it was going to be terminal. It was a long journey;

I became so ill, the treatment killed my taste; I couldn't eat or drink; I lost almost five stone; it broke me. Every ache and pain I thought this was it. "At times I didn't

think I'd see Christmas because it made me so ill. Our first granddaughter was due too; I really didn't think I was going to get to meet her. She [Olive] is five months old now;

it's been a massive bonus getting to meet her." Conrad has now had the all clear and says it was "one thing" that kept him going. In 2007, the granddad discovered a love

of writing after his home was burgled while on holiday in Florida and says it was his passion for telling stories that got him through his cancer battle. The former McDonald's employee

said: "I'd gone on a sabbatical holiday around America. At the time we owned a cleaning company and had a number of vans. "While we were away, our house was burgled, and they

took everything, including the vans and all the cleaning equipment; it made us unemployed. Article continues below "I was sitting on the beach after it happened, and my partner said,

Why don't you write a book? I said why would I do that, and she said because you keep reading them and saying how awful they are. So I got a pen and paper and started writing on the

beach. "If it wasn't for the burglary, I would never have started writing." Conrad started writing books in 2007, his first book came out in 2008, and by 2010, he had written

six books. He said: "If you told me in 2010 that I would have a career writing books, I would never have believed you, but it got me through my cancer battle." Conrad has written

37 books in total and plans to write many more in the future.