
Woman fulfilling wife's dream to walk UK coastline reaches halfway point
Tracey Howe and Angela White met each other whilst working in a hospital in Sunderland. The pair spent 37 years of their lives together, having been married for nine of those years.
The couple moved to Bearsden nearly two decades ago where they continued to raise their sons Will, and Dan.
Angela was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects the bone marrow and plasma cells, and Amyloidosis, a rare condition linked with blood cancer.
Six months later in September 2023, Angela passed away aged 58.
Tracey set off from the Beatson in Glasgow on November 1, 2024, to walk the coastline, a trip she dreamed of making with her wife in a motorhome after retirement. Angela and Tracey dreamed of travelling the UK coastline after retirement
The journey has taken Tracey all the way to Lands End and now she is making her way back north.
Despite the many different cities, towns and landmarks visited during the trip, the fundraiser believes the kindness people has been the real highlight of the journey.
Tracey told STV News: 'People are being so generous with their time and donating.
'People have let me stay in their houses, fed me and done my laundry. Every time I meet someone I give them one of the crocheted hearts and it opens up the conversation.
'Often people shed a tear about not just my story but theirs as well.' Tracey has been gifting strangers crocheted hearts.
The whole experience has given the 60-year-old, who has received support from Olympic Gold medallist Tom Daly, a completely new perspective on life.
Tracey said: 'I used to be a planner and this really is forcing me to live in the moment.
'I need to enjoy everything and soak up the whole day.
'I'm focusing on just being.'
The journey itself hasn't been easy, with the walker hit with wind and rain on some days, however, the memory of her wife has driven her forward. Tracey has seen many landmarks on her long journey.
The mum-of-two said: 'I talk to her everyday.
'I imagine her being with me and encouraging me.
'When I'm having a tough day and the terrain and elements are against me I call on her strength to give me a push.'
The former professor of rehabilitation sciences has set herself the target of raising £100,000 for five different charities including Brainstrust, Marie Curie and Beatson Cancer Charity.
Tracey, who will turn 61 during the trek, is also raising funds for Breast Cancer Now and Coppafeel after her sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer.
To follow Tracey's Trek on social media click here. To donate to Tracey's Trek click here.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Glasgow Times
13 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Fundraiser launched after Scottish woman dies in Spain
Angela Mctier, who is understood to be from Blantyre, became unwell and passed away while coming home from her holiday in Alicante, Spain, yesterday (July 22). Now, a fundraiser has been launched on GoFundMe to help Angela's family bring her home. The description reads: "We are just looking to take a bit of stress off Angela's family to bring her home and let her get laid to rest. "Any donations at all would be greatly appreciated." So far, more than £750 has been raised. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson confirmed: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Spain." You can view the GoFundMe HERE.


STV News
17 hours ago
- STV News
Scots sleep in Bulgarian airport after 'eggy smell' forces plane emergency landing
Passengers were forced to sleep in a Bulgarian airport after an Edinburgh-bound flight had to make an emergency landing due to an 'eggy smell'. The EasyJet flight EZY3282 from Dalaman, Turkey, to the Scottish capital took off at 9.55pm UK time and was due to arrive at around 12.45am on Wednesday morning. But around two hours into the journey, the aircraft made a U-turn over Serbia following a reported technical issue and landed in Sofia, Bulgaria. Those onboard told STV News staff said the plane was being diverted due to an 'unusual smell' described as 'eggy'. After landing, passengers were informed that they needed to spend the night in the Bulgarian capital because the cabin crew had worked their due hours. EasyJet previously told STV News that accommodation and meals were provided to those impacted, but affected passengers say they slept in the airport and haven't been supplied with water or food. After queuing at the check-in desks, passengers were informed that hotels had denied them spaces, and airport staff had to contact hotel managers directly to seek accommodation. Passengers claimed staff said they were unable to provide food and drink vouchers because EasyJet representatives had not contacted them. At around 5.30am, Scott Duncan and his wife, Emily Powell, were told accommodation had been found for them; however, they'd have to pay for transport to the premises. 'Check out times were between 10am to 11am, along with paying for transport there and back, and needing to be at the airport for 3pm to pass security for a 5pm flight, we decided it was better to stay in the airport overnight,' he told STV News. 'After sleeping on the floor for an hour after being refused seating from the Costa staff, eventually they opened the seating at 7am and allowed us chairs to sleep on.' Mr Duncan said they were issued new boarding passes to download but the EasyJet app crashed when trying to access them or the customer service option. He said that they had still not been able to check in an hour before the scheduled departure. iStock 'We have had nowhere to store our luggage and still no word on food or water, as well as airport staff reporting that there has been no word from an EasyJet representative,' Mr Duncan said. 'We have barely slept, are extremely dehydrated and provided very weak air conditioning in over 30-degree weather.' Passengers still feel 'left in the dark,' with a flight scheduled to leave at 5pm on Wednesday being delayed for a further three hours Scott's wife, Emily, added: 'We haven't been provided any information and have had to find out from friends and family about certain things that are happening. 'We are having to contact EasyJet first to find out information. They are not coming to us and they are completely leaving us in the dark. 'We can clearly understand that it is not the cabin crew or the pilot's fault as they were making sure that we were safe, and this is completely on EasyJet.' Vicky Walker, who noticed a 'foul smell' prior to landing, said passengers were assured that accommodation, water and food would all be handled by the UK airline. But the 37-year-old from Forfar says she spent the night in the Bulgarian airport. 'We were offered a hotel room, but we had to make our own way there, to then be told we would need to check out of the hotel at 10am,' she said. 'My friend and I didn't have the money to pay for it, so we ended up in the airport with others. We haven't been offered any water or food and have had no information given to us at all. 'Just a horrendous experience. Needless to say, I won't be travelling with EasyJet again.' 'I'm shattered and it just put a total dampener on my holiday.' Another passenger told STV News her family had to book their own accommodation despite EasyJet informing them that the situation was 'under control' and to 'hang tight'. While 'kids slept on the floor', the mum called the airline for the fourth time. She was told that ground staff were 'dealing' with affected passengers; however, there were reportedly no employees in the area. She told STV News: 'We collected bags then made our way through to arrivals which was chaos, there were no staff at all present in the arrivals hall or departures, just a police officer in each who had no information. 'I called EasyJet various times and each time was told to hang tight they were sorting it out and someone would be on their way soon. 'After two hours and no sign of anyone I asked EasyJet if we could book our own hotel, they said it was all under control and if we booked our own they would not reimburse us for it. 'The airport was completely closed and the one vending machine wasn't working. It was hot and there was no access to food or water and still no staff around. Kids sleeping everywhere and all miserable.' Eventually, the family booked accommodation for themselves before heading back to the airport later in the day. The mum added: 'I'm really glad they got us off the plane safely and are sending a new plane but I'm extremely disappointed with how EasyJet has let everyone down. 'Just want to get our little one home it's been a long two days for her.' EasyJet has been contacted for comment. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country


Time Out
a day ago
- Time Out
Nothing but love: Tracey Lange on rallying behind stranded soccer tour
For radio personality Tracey Lange, having access to a platform and using it for good was a no-brainer when it came to a group of teens stranded overseas. What was meant to be the trip of a lifetime turned into a harrowing ordeal for this group of aspiring soccer players when travel planning a football tour to Spain went wrong. After competing in the Donosti Cup, more than two dozen players from Cape Town-based BT Football Academy found themselves stranded in Portugal, with no flights home. Parents, who had paid an estimated R50k for the trip, were left in shock as return flights failed to materialise — reportedly due to visa delays and inflated travel costs. As panic set in, Cape Town rallied. Enter radio personality Tracey Lange, who spotted a post on the Coloured Girls Rock Facebook page and jumped into action. She helped launch a public fundraising campaign that would ultimately become a lifeline. She joined forces with pastors Dane and Tersia Mesane of Christ Culture Church, whose compassion and leadership played a vital role in reuniting the children with their families. "I saw the post on Coloured Girls Rock page on Facebook and that to me was proof that this was legit. We got hold of someone who could assist with the contact details of one of the coaches. We wanted all information before going live on social media so that all questions could be answered. Avukile got onto the parents' WhatsApp group to make sure he had all the info from the parents,' recalls Tracey. "The response was immense from the get-go with someone suggesting that if just 1000 people donate R50 it would make everything possible,' she says. And just like that – within 24 hours – hope turned into action. It was confirmed: the children were finally on their way back home. The first group of boys are expected to arrive back in the Mother City this afternoon. Behind-the-scenes acts of kindness Further offers of assistance and posts celebrating Tracey's efforts are being shared far and wide, with some real homegrown flavour. One "aunty" has promised Gatsby sandwiches for the whole squad on arrival. "People have shown us just how good the world can be," adds Tracey. According to reports, the academy cited late visa appointments, last-minute flight costs, and a lack of funds as reasons for the failure. As a result, the group was moved by bus to Lisbon, Portugal, in search of cheaper flights, where they remained stuck without confirmed travel arrangements. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BT Football (@btfootball_sa) The ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the importance of proper travel planning, timely visa applications and documentation, along with the necessary travel insurance - all essential safeguards to prevent young travellers from being left stranded far from home.