Richard Chandler, who runs the stone tools and consumables supply company Combined Masonry Supplies with Richard Neal, sends his sincere thanks to everyone who has conveyed their good wishes to him since his operation. "I have been overwhelmed by the expressions of good wishes from customers," he says.

Richard is currently convalescing following the removal of 25% of his stomach along with a non malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) that was, he says, 6cm in diameter. He then needed a second operation due to complications, which has left him struggling to take sufficient calories on board.

His first operation was on 19 December and he says he has lost 9.5kg in bodyweight since then as the result of a month of enforced inactivity and the operations. It is not a diet he recommends.