THE memory of Atherton musician John Sharples will live on at the hospital where he died suddenly last month.

This week the Vulcans and Nostalgia guitarist's wife, Josie, presented a cheque for £430 to the diabetic ward at Bolton Royal Infirmary.

The donation from family and friends will be used to buy the latest equipment to help other sufferers.

Josie, of Norfolk Road, who is still trying to come to terms with the loss of her husband at 59 attended a tribute concert to John at his local, the Rope and Anchor, a show which should have been a surprise 60th birthday party for the father of two daughters, Angela and Joanne.

There Josie was presented with a framed photograph of Nostalgia, John's last group which he left last year.

The rare picture of the lads in teddy boy suits is inscribed "In memory of John Sharples 1943-2003" and now hangs in pride of place at home along with a picture of a previous group "The Night Boppers" which topped the bill at Liverpool's Cavern Club over The Beatles.

Before he was taken ill John had been looking forward to the birth of his first grandson, Jack, to daughter Joanne, who was due on March 21, but who came into the world a week late - on his grandad's birthday!

It was also the day John's ashes were buried in Josie's family's grave at Howe Bridge cemetery.

Josie said: "I decided instead of flowers at the funeral service we would raise money for the diabetic ward at Bolton and it will be used to buy the latest electrical thermometer, a coffee table for the lounge and a trolley with John's name on."