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Mark has this to say about his involvement with music promotion and Howden Live: "As far as music angles go the first gig I ever organised was as a fundraiser in 1998 for The Cookridge Cancer Centre Appeal where I had been treated for testicular cancer in 1989. That was put together with a great deal of help from Martin Pierson who runs the Processed Pea amongst other things. It headlined with Jim Diamond and Brian Willoughby and raised a few quid, since then I have done another seven of those.

In 1989 I was unlucky enough to be diagnosed with testicular cancer, but lucky enough to be referred to the Cookridge Cancer Centre near Leeds for treatment. Three interesting months later I was given the all clear thanks to the magic they worked there.

Over the next few years frequent discussions were held, usually at last 'orders,' about what a great idea it would be to organise a fundraising concert for the hospital. Nothing happened. We spoke about it some more and still, nothing happened.

Then at last orders (again) one night in the Minster View in 1997, Ken Alderson, for it was he, mentioned one Martin Pierson who knows these things, to see if he could suggest anything. He did, and in February 1998 the first Cookridge fundraiser came to pass with Jim Diamond and Brian Willoughby.

Following a rather frantic period of untested money raising strategies, a fantastic evening consisting of three support acts provided by Martin and topped off by four well earned standing ovations for Diamond andΜύ Willoughby ,we raised nearly Β£4,000, that seemed to be it.

Then, one night a year or so later in the pub a conversation about bands we used to be in to with Denis Morgan turned into an enquiry to see if The Groundhogs were still on the road. They were, we booked them, made some more money for Cookridge and thought about the next year, the annual Cookridge fundraiser was under way.

The next year saw a return for Jim Diamond, this time with Snake Davis, followed by Waterson:Carthy, Acoustic Lindisfarne, Jim Diamond and Snake Davis again, Midge Ure and this year The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

Before getting hooked up bigstyle with Howden Live I did a few fund raising gigs for Howden Infant school PTA, where I was in the PTA then a parent governor and currently LEA governor.

Just over four and a half years ago I teamed up properly with Howden Live, there had always been a semi partnership there as I had been using their gear a fair bit, that started off with a blues season and developed over time into some folk too as well as a few blockbusters like Kiki Dee, Geno Washington, Chris Farlowe, Wilko Johnson and others."

An early fundraiser for Mark Rodger

Of his photograph for Every Picture..he says: "It wasn't a Cookridge gig, it was a culmination of a lot of things, because there's two of my personal musical heroes in there, it's Wilko Johnson and Norman Watt Roy. Wilko Johnson, a founder member of Dr Feelgood, and Norman Watt Roy, best known for being the bass player with Ian Dury and the Blockheads. And, you're talking about people of that sort of calibre and that level of fame to people of a certain age, and there I was with them in the Shire Hall with my son in the picture and a couple of guys from the support band and the sound engineer and I guess it epitomises really, one of the reasons why I do all this stuff."

Mark also said: "I also run the Howden Live website and was responsible for this year's arts council grant which saw us receive our largest ever grant based around six projects."

Mark's involved in a large number of projects for the remainder of this year and also for the coming year and you can find out more by visiting his website by using the link at the top right hand side of this page.