Happy Friday, reader, and welcome to another interview from the sector’s sharpest question firer, Society Diary.
This week’s guest is Royal Marsden Cancer Charity’s managing director, Antonia Dalmahoy.
In this tell-all interview, Dalmahoy shares her spouse’s allergies, relationship with sleep and a special concert.
You can read more of our conversation below.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
“I’m not really a morning person and have to set two alarms at 6am and 6.10am, so the first thing I do is press the snooze button. When I do make it out of bed, a large cup of coffee is next on the agenda before I get ready to start my day.”
How well did you cope with this year’s heatwaves?
“I actually enjoyed it as lots of us at the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity made use of the office aircon, so we had more people in each day than usual which meant there was a real buzz about the place. Despite the soaring temperatures on the commute, the heat allowed for more face time with colleagues across the charity which is always brilliant.”
Have you ever regretted taking part in a fundraising challenge?
“Not so much regret, but two fundraising challenges I have embarked upon with my children did make me question my choices at times!
“Last year I celebrated 10 years working at the charity, so my daughter and I decided to take on the 15-mile Banham Marsden March. She was only 12 and there were certainly some challenges in the final miles, mainly making sure we didn’t end up having an argument. However, the atmosphere on the day was brilliant and we both finished it (without falling out), raising over £10,000 for the charity.”
“And in 2018 I did the five-mile family-friendly version of the Banham Marsden March with my son who was only seven at the time alongside six of his friends and their mothers. The distance was a lot less but keeping them all on track was a challenge.
“Things like them continually wanting to take their ponchos on and off while keeping a balloon tied to their wrist, encouraging them that every shop we passed did not require a sweet stop and answering the inevitable ‘are we nearly there yet’ questions within minutes of setting off, meant it felt like we’d walked 50 miles by the end. It was all worth it because as a group we raised over £25,000 and as two of the mums were cancer patients, the emotion when we all crossed the finish line was very special.”
What would you do if you won an Omaze house – move there, rent or sell?
“I put a lot of thought into this when we were lucky enough to partner with Omaze earlier this year. Our house was in the Cotswolds and, like all their houses, was absolutely stunning. After much consideration (daydreaming), I would like to have at least a few holidays there before the sensible side of me would probably look to sell it.”
Which fictional character do you relate to the most?
“I allowed my family to decide on this and they came up with Paddington Bear! I wasn’t sure how to take it. Paddington is certainly someone who has a good range of qualities but deep down he has the intention to always try to do the right thing, which I hope also applies to me.
“I also really admire how at times he doesn’t take himself too seriously which I can relate to (and I imagine if my colleagues are reading this, they would agree) and his ability to get himself into scrapes is certainly something my sisters would tell you was a key feature of my childhood.”
Have you any hidden talents?
“I have the ability to survive on very little sleep and am naturally a night owl. I really only start to get going at about 4pm, hitting my stride by about 9pm which has its benefits when attending our evening charity events which, of course, I love being at.”
If you were a professional wrestler, what would be your entrance music?
“This was the easiest question of the lot – Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. My daughter is constantly doing ridiculously daunting running and swimming competitions, and this is the song she always listens to beforehand to help conquer the pre-race nerves. I have so many memories of playing it on full volume in the car as we drive to various events, so it would remind me of her and the fact she is so much braver than I ever could be.”
All-time favourite condiment?
“I’m not a huge condiment person but ketchup is probably my top choice.”
Cats or dogs?
“Cats – but I'm married to someone allergic to them, so unfortunately I can't have one. Although there are constant cat chats in our offices, so I still get to talk about them a lot and see them on Teams calls.”
Have you ever been starstruck?
“I’ve been extremely fortunate in my career to have met many famous people over the years but one moment sticks out for me, although it might show my age a little. It was from a few years ago when we held our Music for the Marsden concert at the O2, which raised £1m towards our Oak Cancer Centre £70m appeal.
“I was standing in the middle of the empty arena as Cat Stephens/Yusef, who I listened to a lot as a teenager, was doing his soundcheck. I was treated to what felt like a private performance as I stood there in awe. That was one of those moments I will never forget.”
