It all began on Saturday evening with a fantastic Ceilidh at the National Piping Centre in Glasgow. Sara had done an absolutely brilliant job organising everything – it ran like clockwork. Around 80 friends and family attended, many of whom had been part of my support crew during my journey. The evening was both a celebration and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who had helped me along the way.
Bev and Denys had excelled themselves with the decorations – including beautiful personalised bunting – while Greg’s balloon arch made a perfect backdrop for photographs.
Craig piped me in to I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers, which he had learned specially for the occasion and played superbly. I walked behind him wearing my boots, hi-vis jacket, and hat – it felt just like another day at the office!
Of course, my journey around Britain was to honour my wife Angela and to help me process my grief. We began the evening with a moving speech from Will and Dan, who both did brilliantly – I was so proud of them.
That was followed by a series of short videos: first, the clip from the Peugeot Attitude Pride Award ceremony; then a wonderful surprise of congratulatory messages from celebrities including Tom Daley, Clare Balding, Chris Kamara, Dame Kelly Holmes, and The Proclaimers themselves. You can see them here
The final video was a deeply emotional montage of photos and clips of Angela, myself, and the boys, beautifully set to a reimagined version of I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) sung by Maisie Seaton with modified lyrics. Her voice was stunning – and it’s a good job we’d put packets of tissues on every table, as there weren’t many dry eyes in the room.
Then it was my turn to say a few words. I thanked everyone for their incredible support over the past year – I truly couldn’t have done it without them – and reminded everyone that our fundraising for the amazing charities continues. To make the point memorable, I stripped off my T-shirts one by one, revealing a different charity logo each time and spinning the shirts over my head before throwing them into the crowd! By the end, the message was clear – it was time to party!
Cue the Ceilidh band. They were absolutely brilliant, and the dance floor filled instantly. It stayed that way all evening – everyone was up dancing, laughing, and having a fabulous time.
I managed to catch up with nearly everyone and still found time for a few dances myself. Ceilidh dancing is wonderfully energetic and so much fun.
Angela had loved the Ceilidh we attended at the same venue years ago, and we have such fond memories from that night. I’m sure she was with us in spirit.
Heather, Janette and Aly were stars all evening, running the raffle and football cards without a break.
As midnight arrived, it was time to say our goodbyes and head home, still buzzing from the joy of it all.
The following day, Heather and Janette counted the takings – an amazing £2,000 raised! People really are so generous. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed.
After a leisurely Sunday morning, we went for lunch at our local pub before saying goodbye to Heather and Janette. The next morning it was time for Bev and Denys to leave too.
On Monday evening, Jackie and Alex treated us to a wonderful meal to celebrate Greg’s 30th birthday, Danny and Sara’s new flat, and Jackie and Alex’s new house.
Alex also fulfilled a little dream of his – riding the “Clockwork Orange” Glasgow Subway!
Tuesday brought more farewells as Jackie and Alex, and Will and Greg all departed, leaving just Poppy and me in the house. After so much celebrating, I was absolutely exhausted.
When I first got home last week, the house felt cold, empty, and lifeless. But after a week filled with family, friends, laughter, and chatter, it’s finally started to feel like home again – and that’s a lovely feeling.
Over the past few days, I’ve caught up with neighbours who’ve been eager to hear my stories. The main questions everyone asks are: “What are you going to do with Priscilla?” and “What’s next?” Truthfully, I’m not sure yet. I need some time to settle back in, reflect on my journey, and get on top of a mountain of life admin.
This week alone I’ve been to the optician, taken Poppy to the vet for her check-up, and seen the dental hygienist – and that’s just for starters! Is it just me or does my eye scan look like boobs?
Oh, and to top it all off, someone scraped the side of my car while I was parked at Asda!
I’ve also spent a few days unpacking Priscilla and getting her ready for winter – draining down the water and the boiler. I hadn’t quite realised how much stuff I’d accumulated; it’s now scattered all over the house waiting for a home. I’ve done what feels like ten loads of washing! And Poppy hasn’t helped by knocking over the bin and having a whale of a time in it scattering its contents around the kitchen. Sometimes I think it was easier just walking every day!
Still, I’ve managed to get out for a couple of short walks with Poppy, and that always helps clear the head.
I even bumped into Bridget and Pauline who were walking Molly. After such a whirlwind week, a bit of quiet and reflection feels just right.
Donations are still open until the New Year — please keep spreading the word and follow the links at TraceysTrek.uk to donate. Every contribution helps the incredible charities that supported us when we needed them most.
Thank you for all your kind comments, encouragement, and support — it means the world to me. I’ll continue to blog as I reflect on my journey, so stay tuned for the next chapter.
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