Richard Albrow with his fund raising charity cook book. Photo by Simon Finlay

His cakes and brightly coloured socks have put smiles on the faces of palliative care patients for more than 15 years.

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And now Richard Albrow has raised thousands of pounds for the centre where he volunteers after producing his own baking book.

The 64-year-old, who opened jewellery shop Albrow and Sons in Norwich 26 years ago, has produced the book called Cakes for a Friday Morning to raise funds for Priscilla Bacon Lodge Support Group.

The book features Mr Albrow’s own favourite baking recipes as well as contributions from staff and patients at the centre and well known chefs including Delia Smith and Galton Blackiston.

It has so far raised £3,000 and it is hoped it will raise more than £5,000.

Mr Albrow, from Eaton, who has been a volunteer at Priscilla Bacon Lodge for 15 or 16 years, said: “That place is just amazing. The staff there are just fabulous, there’s not enough praise in the world for the staff there and the patients are wonderful people.

“The book has done better than I ever dreamed it would do. People have a great affection for Priscilla Bacon Lodge and it would be wonderful for the book to continue to do well.”

Mr Albrow, who has suffered a triple heart bypass and a brain haemorrhage and has undergone an operation on his stomach, volunteers at the Rowan Centre at Priscilla Bacon Lodge every Friday morning. He said he used to buy a cake to take in or his wife Dinah would bake one before he decided to start baking the cakes himself.

The patients would “wax lyrical” about his cakes and it was suggested he should put his recipes in a book. That was when Cakes for a Friday Morning was born.

Recipes include Mr Albrow’s popular chocolate cake and his lemon drizzle cake. The book also features clever illustrations by Mr Albrow’s good friend Tiz Fairhurst who owns Fairhurst Gallery in Bedford Street.

“We tried to make it funny and daft so it’s got little jokes in it, it’s meant to be a bit of fun as well,” said Mr Albrow, who has two sons Harvey and Richard, who now run the jewellery business.

“People have the misconception about Priscilla Bacon that it’s a grim place where people go to die but it’s not, it’s a truly amazing place with lovely people and we have a laugh. On a Friday, we enjoy cake and I wear brightly coloured odd socks and now even the patients and some of the staff wear bright coloured or odd socks.”

The book, which costs £5 with all proceeds going to Priscilla Bacon Lodge Support Group, is available to buy from the centre at Colman Hospital in Unthank Road, Albrow and Sons in All Saints Green and St Benedict’s Restaurant.

Are you raising money for charity? Call reporter Kate Scotter on 01603 772326 or email kate.scotter@archant.co.uk.