FOR the third year running, the Help For Heroes fashion show at Catterick Garrison left me humbled and inspired.

It was a pleasure and a privilege to compere such a special event, which sees injured members of the armed forces take to the catwalk, along with professional models from Leggs fashion store in Darlington.

PHOTOS: Models take to the catwalk for the annual Phoenix House fashion show

I had the honour of introducing "models" with heroic back-stories and I hope the others will forgive me for singling out Kevin Holt as an example. in 2009, Kevin was posted to Helmand in Afghanistan with 2nd Battalion The Rifles, with the task of using a metal detector to search for improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

One morning, a device, planted by the Taliban, exploded, killing one of the soldiers in Kevin's platoon outright and injuring six others.

As the walking wounded set off for base, they triggered a second chain of connected devices. Another three soldiers were killed instantly, with a fourth dying later at Camp Bastion. It was the British Army's costliest single attack of the Afghanistan campaign.

Even though he had seen his best friend killed, Kevin ran back to help those caught up in the first blast and his bravery earned him a military honour.

Kevin carried on serving in Afghanistan but, ultimately, he couldn't cope with the horror of what he'd seen. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and left the army the following year.

It is for men and women like Kevin that Phoenix House exists: helping them to recover from the physical and mental scars of war.

Some days, Kevin struggles to even leave the house and he took a lot of persuasion to take part in the fashion show. But you should have seen him on that catwalk, strutting his stuff with all the confidence of a seasoned pro, cheered on by an appreciative crowd of friends, family and merely admirers.

See what I mean about being humbled and inspired?

I NEED no encouragement or reward to support such a special event but I was deeply touched to be presented with a gift at the end of the fashion show.

It was a beautiful, inscribed clock, made by veterans in the Phoenix House workshop as part of their therapy.

My sincere thanks to Warrant Officer Chris Morgan, who spearheaded the appeal to build the workshop, and veterans Bob Taylor and Tom Gibson who made the clock.

Tom, 87, is suffering from throat cancer and attending sessions in the workshop helps him through his pain.

My clock will be treasured.

ANOTHER honour last week was to be asked to deliver a Bible reading at Mary Butterwick's funeral.

It was no surprise to see Stockton Parish Church overflowing in tribute to a very special woman. Mary planned her own send-off with the kind of leadership and organisation she displayed as the founder of a hospice movement which has brought comfort to so many.

ON a lighter note, a post-script to "An Evening With Mark Gatiss" which I hosted recently at Darlington Civic Theatre.

The event with the celebrated writer and actor, whose long list of credits include The League of Gentlemen, Doctor Who, and Sherlock, was thoroughly enjoyable and I emerged with a proud claim to fame. Not even my most illustrious predecessors, William Stead or Sir Harold Evans, managed to persuade a Dalek to promote the paper.

The Northern Echo: Horror Europa with Mark Gatiss - Writer and actor Mark Gatiss outside Orava Castle in Slovakia, the original location for the film Nosferatu in 1922
Mark Gatiss

The Dalek was hanging around in the theatre foyer, welcoming members of the audience, when I seized my opportunity.

"Excuse me," I said to the Dalek, "could you possibly do me a favour?" I went on to ask him if he could say: "Read all about it in Monday's Northern Echo – 70 pence from all good newsagents – or you will be exterminated."

He obeyed my orders and and it was filmed on my phone to be used on The Northern Echo's website. Who'd have thought it?

The Mark Gatiss show also produced the most bizarre question I've heard in 35 years in newspapers.

Towards the end, I asked members of the audience if anyone had a burning question they'd like to ask.

A Glaswegian woman stood up, took the roving microphone, and blurted out: "Mark, if there was a taxidermist in the room, what position would you choose to be stuffed in?"

Mark looked at me, rolled his eyes and then, to his credit, got out of his seat and adopted a crab-like posture on the stage.

"I think it would be this one," he replied.