Tracey Howe stops off in Inverclyde on 5,000-mile trek

Tracey Howe, 60, is walking 5,000 miles around Britain's coastline to pay tribute to her beloved wife Angela who passed away last year after a battle with blood cancer. 

Tracey set off from the Beatson Cancer Centre in Glasgow at the start of November, and is due to arrive back there on October 31, 2025. 

The huge-hearted former professor of rehabilitation sciences hopes to raise £100,000 which will be split between five charities - Beatson Cancer Charity, Marie Curie, brainstrust, Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel. 

The fundraising total has already reached £6,850. 

Tracey, who is walking with her wee dog Poppy, 12, said she was overwhelmed by the support she received from the people of Inverclyde when she arrived on our shores. 

She added: "Everyone was very hospitable and really lovely. 

"I stayed at James Watt Dock marina and I met some people doing the Park Run. 

"We went up to Cardwell Garden Centre which was lovely, and Poppy got a lot of treats from everyone."

Tracey and Angela were together for 37 years before Angels sadly died last September at the age of just 58. 

Angela had been diagnosed with two blood cancers, myeloma and amyloidosis, which her doctors descried as the 'most aggressive they had ever seen'. 

READ MORE: Woman passes through Inverclyde on 5,000-mile charity walk

Before her cancer diagnosis, medics discovered that Angela had a benign brain tumour which caused her a lot of health problems. 

Tracey said: "It was such a cruel blow that Angela was recovering from the brain tumour when we found out about the cancers. 

"Tragically, she died only months later.

"Angela left a horrific gaping hole in my life when she passed away but I want to turn my grief into a positive."

(Image: Alex Craig) Angela and Tracey, who were married for 17 years, decided that buying a motorhome and driving around Britain was going to be a big part of their retirement plan. 

Tracey said: "We never got the chance to do it but we did buy a motorhome which I've called Priscilla Queen of the Coast.

"I decided that I would walk the route we were planning to drive to raise awareness and raise money for charity while I'm doing it. 

"I've taken Priscilla with me and that's where Poppy and I sleep."

Tracey said walking has helped her mental health as she deals with life without Angela. 

She added: "When Angela died I was very depressed but Poppy needed walking, so I had to force myself to go out and I've stuck with it. 

"It's all progressed from there. 

"I find walking quite meditative. 

"It's a way of reconnecting with life and nature and the activity has become a kind of therapy.

"I'm not thinking about anything in particular, so I can allow my mind to wander."

(Image: Alex Craig) Tracey has put in some serious training for the trek which has included walking in the Sahara desert, striding alongside the Great Wall of China, and climbing munros. 

She will cover an average of 20 miles daily, six days each week, to complete an anti-clockwise circuit of the entire mainland British coast. She visited Inverclyde on November 4.

As a token of the love she and Angela shared, Tracey is also giving out 5,000 little crocheted hearts along the way - one for every mile she covers. 

Tracey said she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received from people all over the UK. 

She said: "I want to thank everyone for their generosity. 

"People have been letting me park Priscilla in their driveway and even buying me lunch. 

"Everyone is so generous, and the local knowledge people have been sharing is so helpful."

Tracey will be documenting her journey on social media @traceystrekuk 

To donate visit www.givewheel.com/fundraising/4117/traceystrek/