THE unique legacy of a teacher and musician has raised more than £10,000 to help fight the cancer which claimed his life.

Bob Hattersley, from Darlington, left a series of maps about the history and geography of the area as well as being part of folk band Fourum, who recorded original songs of the legends and characters of Swaledale, Teesdale and Wensleydale.

Mr Hattersley worked as a geography teacher at Hummersknot School in Darlington for 33 years until his death in December 2010 from kidney cancer, aged 60.

His devastated family and friends set up a memorial fund to help raise money for the centre at James Cook Hospital where Mr Hattersley was treated.

At Fourum's annual concert at the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond, the £10,000 raised was handed over to senior consultant David Chadwick for the Cutting Edge fund, which is raising money to develop pioneering robotic surgery techniques to tackle the treatment of the disease in the future.

Mr Hattersley’s wife, Jean, said: ”The money has all been raised through the sale of copies of Bob’s maps, together with money from the sale of Fourum’s triple CD album ‘The Dales Collection’, and an accompanying book of the songs, as well as the band donating fees from concerts.

“Bob thoroughly enjoyed his performances with his friends in Fourum and also had a passion for the history and geography of the area. It is good to see that, through the continuation of these activities after his death, we have been able to offer additional support for the work at James Cook Hospital."

The maps featured in a programme about Fourum recorded for the ITV series The Dales, which is currently being shown around the world including New Zealand and Australia.

Mrs Hattersley said the programme had brought the music and maps to a national and international audience with visitors from as far afield as Taiwan and Australia at the concert.

Band member Jim Jack said Bob Hattersley would probably not have let them do all that they had done in his name.

“He was multi talented but a very self effacing man, I suspect he would have been very pleased though that people were enjoying themselves through the music and the history of the area and that the money has been raised as a by product of that,” he added.

Another band member also paid tribute to the James Cook Hospital where he had life saving surgery for prostate cancer carried out by Mr Chadwick.

Fourum which is in its 43rd year is continuing to record new songs and they say fund raising is continuing, for information go to www.fourumfolk.co.uk.