Getting stuck on a roundabout in a motorised wheelchair is no laughing matter, but it’s a fond memory that will always bring a smile to Hannah Beachem’s face when she thinks about her grandfather Geoff Farman.

It is that love which spurred her and her husband Stewart into raising money for hospice charity ellenor which cared for Geoff in his final days.

They are one of many who have taken part in the charity’s annual Walkathon, which sees supporters trek 26 miles from London to Gravesend. Record numbers have already registered for this year.

The couple, who run Gravesend’s New Images hair salon, took part in 2008 in memory of Geoff.

Stewart said: “It was a challenge but it was a really friendly and sociable event.”

Since Geoff was cared for by ellenor 20 years ago, Stewart and Hannah, with the support of their customers, have raised more than £8,000 for the charity, organising discos and Christmas raffles.

Hannah said: “Nearly everyone who comes in knows somebody who has been cared for by ellenor.” Last year, she celebrated her 40th birthday and asked friends and family to donate to the charity instead of giving her gifts. Donations alone topped £1,000.

Geoff was diagnosed with spine and prostate cancer a couple of years after his wife Violet died.

They had met during the war – during which time Geoff was twice on vessels which were torpedoed – and were devoted to each other.

“Nearly everyone who comes in knows somebody who has been cared for by ellenor" Hannah Beachem

Hannah said: “My grandmother used to make prawn cocktail and create her own special sauce, which was a particular favourite of Grandad’s.

“When he was in the hospice, I’d make some of that special prawn cocktail and take it in for him. The staff encouraged me and were also happy for me to cut his hair – which he enjoyed too. These little things made such a difference.”

Geoff’s working life had seen him employed by Everards, working on tugs on the Thames and, at one point, restoring the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. After his diagnosis, he was left unable to walk and relied on a motorised wheelchair.

Hannah said: “This meant he could get around the hospice a bit – although one particular day, he decided to venture outside. He ran out of battery on the Morrison’s roundabout and had to be towed back!”

Through ellenor, Hannah also got to know other people looked after by the charity, including her best friend’s mother Pat Plum.

She said: “I used to go and sit with Pat a lot near the end and then I’d join Pat’s family and friends in the lounge for a cup of tea and soon we’d be smiling, thinking about her and the wonderful memories we had.

“What I’ve always noticed about the hospice is that it’s not a sad place.”