DIARY: Beyond Radio presenter Phil McGrath meets Elbow star Guy Garvey on his '60 Before 60 Challenge'

Beyond Radio presenter Phil McGrath is continuing his mission to complete 60 different challenges before his 60th birthday and in this latest extract from his diary he meets a famous face...

Phil McGrath has launched his '60 Before 60 Challenge' aiming to do all the things he's always wanted to, but never got round to before.

Phil, who presents The Quick Draw Radio Show on Monday nights on Beyond Radio, turns 60 in April 2025. 

He also works for Citizens' Advice in Lancaster, helping families who have been affected by cancer to claim benefits they are entitled to.

Phil was recently diagnosed with non-curative lung cancer, after twice beating cancer before.

He has begun a course of chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment, and says that beating cancer again has been added to his list of challenges.

So far during his challenge, he has taken a selfie with a Harlem Globetrotter basketball player (pictured below), eaten a Kurdish meal, which he'd never done before, ran the Tolkien Trail, experienced his first ever 70s Weekender at Butlin's, taken on a game of 'electric shock' laser tag in Morecambe and completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.

Here is the latest extract from his diary as he completes challenges 20 to 24.

Week 12

Paid a visit to Glasson Dock for ice cream on Monday and then Tuesday a proper ice cream at Wallings (obviously peach sorbet and lemon meringue) then out for a three mile walk whilst the Heron Flyers did their Tuesday run. Feeling quite well at the moment – long may it continue!

Another four mile walk on Thursday before heading off to Glasgow to meet up with mates and to see Elbow in concert. A great welcome in Glasgow with a FREE Battered Mars Bar just outside the train station, a gift from the Blue Lagoon Fish and Chip Bar in exchange for a joke! I think my joke was a bit obscure but I was given a Mars bar anyway!

After a browse around Glasgow we met up with mates at the hotel and then had the delights of an Indian meal at the amazing India Quay. A beautiful meal with fantastic service and of course, more than amazing company!

Saturday began with an open top tour of Glasgow on the day Celtic and Glasgow were playing, readying ourselves for the event we’d met up for - 21/60 Elbow in Concert. What an amazing show! As someone who hasn’t really listened to much of Elbow, they were a revelation.

Loved the music, orchestration and lyrics. It felt more of an experience than a gig. The attention to detail and the sound were brilliant. 'Magnificent' was probably my favourite song of the night, what fantastic lyrics.

After the show we were privileged to be invited to the after party. Brilliant to meet and chat with Guy Garvey, who was welcoming and generous with his time and conversation. We were last out, he had to get on the tour bus to get to Leeds. We had to leave as the staff wanted to lock up, it was approaching 1am!

Week 13 – It HAD to be!

A bit of bad news this week. The chemotherapy isn’t working so I’m being transferred to the Christie. Good news though, the chemo’s stopped and my body will have some respite, hopefully getting back to some kind of fitness.

Did a four mile hike on the Sunday at Heron Corn Mill whilst the Trailblazers ran off into the distance. A beautiful day and a beautiful venue.

Week 14

Right, back to it! 22/60 Abbeystead Supper Run was the next challenge – a long two mile slog uphill followed by a two mile downhill. I decided to march the course rather than attempt to run it and completely knack myself. Still didn’t come last! (The competitive side still hasn’t gone!)

A great course that I’ll certainly visit again, particularly for the hot pot supper at the finish line!

On the Thursday I completed another three mile trek from Aldcliffe to Bowerham and bumped into some good mates on the journey which gave me an extra boost.

After work on Friday we headed up to the North East to see family. A plodge in the North Sea – very little comes close to that pleasure, another amazing curry for Mum’s birthday and a visit to see our Best Man. A great, relaxed weekend!

On the health side the drive seemed to aggravate my foot which, it turns out, is due to gout which seems to be a remnant of the chemo. Blummin’ sore!

Week 15

A shorter week due to the Bank Holiday and a chance to begin to think about 23/60 the OMM Lite Festival at Grasmere. We’d originally planned to take part in some of the running and active events but, due to my foot playing up we ended up as supporters and campers. It was a great atmosphere though and we got to explore a little of Grasmere whilst supporting the runners and orienteers doing the range of OMM events on offer – definitely something for next year! 

Week 16

Still struggling with the gout but beginning to get back to some kind of normality. The body seems to have rallied after the chemo and I’m feeling loads better! Aiming to try some running next week – that’ll be fun!

Saturday completed 24/60 Romesh Ranganathan’s Hustle at Manchester AO. What a brilliant night of entertainment with Romesh and hip hop DJ Martin 2 Smoove. Some brilliant music (if you ignore some of the language – does that make me sound old?) and a great set from Romesh playing his grumpy old self and complaining about the hustle that we all do working too hard and leaving ourselves too tired for life. A bit rich, he acknowledges, from someone who appears to be on TV all of the time! Lots of laughs though and some very funny anecdotes.

Sunday morning we were off to tackle Farnborough Knott, a four mile walk with mates while the Trailblazers took a longer and steeper route. A beautiful day yet again – we live in such a fabulous part of the UK.

Read Part 1 of Phil's 60 Before 60 Diary HERE

And Part 2 can be found HERE.