A man who was reunited with a long-lost friend after an appeal in the paper has had an "enjoyable" visit from his old pal to help raise spirits as he battles cancer.

Ken Holt, 75, who used to live in Bolton but is now based in Preston, has been battling cancer for two years.

It started with melanoma in his foot before the disease travelled through his body. 

He has had a downturn in health in the last couple of months. 

Prior to this, he was the carer for his wife, Helen, and their youngest son, while suffering with cancer. 

His eldest son, Richard Holt, better known as Rick, now looks after all three of them. 

Rick, who lives in Horwich, said: "My dad is no worse than when he was admitted to hospital, now he is in a care home, though his speech is not good. 

"He has got lesions on his brain and his balance is off. That is why he ended up in the hospital, after a fall at home - they gave him weeks to a month to live.

Ken in the 1980sKen in the 1980s (Image: Anisa Fatima) "But that was a month ago now and he has not deteriorated any further since then. 

"I am up in Preston every day, and I care for my mother and brother." 

He added: "Cancer is an evil, evil disease, it will strike when it wants. He has fought extremely hard. 

"I can't stress enough to people, see your family as much as you can." 

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Rick spoke of his dad's software business, Castlefields, which he set up in the 1990s. 

He said: "With his profession, he was self-taught, he programmed for the finance industry. Learning code is one thing, but it's the maths - he taught himself algebra. 

"He built a very successful business from it and ended up selling it on." 

Back in December 2022, The Bolton News helped to reunite Ken with his long-lost friend, Mohammed Azum. The pair had known each other when they both lived in Bolton in the 1980s. 

Mohammed, better known as Mo, has recently been to see Ken in Preston with his daughter, Anisa Fatima. 

Ken and MoKen and Mo (Image: Public)

Anisa said: "We went and surprised Ken. Before the surprise was for my dad but this time we wanted to surprise him, he was really happy to see my dad. 

"His granddaughter told me the doctors gave him four weeks, but he is very sharp, he knows everyone, he recognises my dad.

"He is quite tough and quite strong." 

Ken met Mo when he was a salesman and knocked on his door in Great Lever. Mo invited him in to eat with his family, something which the pair continued to do for years. 

Anisa and Mo were unsure about the rules at the care home, so did not bring food with them. 

She said: "My dad said I hope they are feeding you well, to which Ken said 'Mo, there is nothing wrong with fish and chips'. 

"I said he needed a curry, he put his hand out and said 'where is it'." 

Repeating the tradition of old, the pair ordered Ken a curry. 

Anisa added: "He really enjoyed it, he had chicken tikka, a kebab, poppadoms.

"We are planning to meet him again. 

"We want to give him the best of what is left."