We had a very busy house last Christmas with all six of the Tangneys home for the first time in over 3 years.
It is increasing rare to have all the family together as David lives in Dubai and Ciaran in New Zealand. So it was a lively house to say the least with the full squad and Catherine and Megan visiting as well.
Needless to say the gang spent as little time as possible in our house and were down town in the pubs to catch up with friends and avoid family. Ciaran was in top form and was very keen to settle a long ongoing regular argument about "Who is the best Tangney?" Of course he was very confident that it was him for some unknown reason ! The fact that he has been away for a few years increased his chances no doubt.
So Ciaran hatched a plan and decided to hold a poll and claim the crown. He set off out the front door with a spring in his step and seemed very confident of an easy vistory. Where and how the votes were to be cast was know only to Ciaran. His crafty plan was hatching nicely and he then revealed that the Crofter Pub was the first and only polling station. Very suspicious indeed ......
I forgot to mention that he held small pilot study as he canvassed the visitors in our house earlier that day before going out to the Crofter. He was buoyed by the early results in our house which gave him a clear lead.
But the real voting had yet to take place.Then in the packed and heaving Crofter Ciaran launched his election campaign while chatting to as many people as possible and even offering free drink as a voting bribe. It was a phone vote and this was Ciaran's tactic for easy polling.
The results were no surprise Aoife was a clear winner !! Ciaran has been accused of tampering with the votes …they were taken on his phone !!
.jpg)
Covid 19 had been reported in Wuhan China during Nov 2019 but the reality of it reaching Europe was realised in March. The map above showing how widespread it was in Europe on 22 March with Italy having over 59,000 cases.In a few months it rapidly spread all over the world causing chaos and deaths in an unprecedented pandemic. The fear and uncertainty have been terrible with everybody affected in one way or another by covid.
The UKs first lockdown began Mar 23 for three months and thankfully worked as the number of new cases gradually declined. At it's peak over 1000 patients died each day. During the lockdown the public were largely compliant and luckily the weather was good.This helped as the sunshine helped keep the morale up. We are lucky living in Fort William with plenty of places to go for a walk or sit in the garden. City dwellers were less fortunate and struggled as living in a high rise flat can be difficult at the best of times. The DIY enthusiasts were in their element and fences were painted , houses renovated , gardens looking pristine and all the jobs that had been on hold for 10 years were suddenly completed. men had no excuse for not doing the long deferred jobs when working from home ! Online shopping boomed, drinking at home rocketed, domestic stress increased as Covid Fever struck the whole country. There were clear winners and loosers in the covid battle.
Working from home became the new norm and many workers were able to avoid the long daily commute to work. But with children at home as the schools were all closed parents home schooling and trying to work from home was not easy for many parents. James has been working from home and misses the office for the banter with the other workers. So its a mixed response to working from home but many miss the interaction with other people at work. Furloughed is the term used when workers receive 80% of their wages from the Government while the covid crises is ongoing. There are huge economic and health implications for the world as the Governments try to achieve a difficult balance between the nation's health vs wealth with the different levels of imposed restrictions etc.
One good thing to come out of the Covid pandemic is there is now better appreciation for the NHS. There was a weekly 8pm clap each Thursday for the NHS all over the UK for many weeks. The hospitals were stretched to cope at the peak during Mar and April and extra capacity was built to help deal with the ITU demand.
.jpg)
.jpg)
On Nov 9th there was a breakthrough as Pfizer announce they have a vaccine that is 90 % effective. Then news that the Oxford vaccine is almost ready as well with efficacy rates of 70% so there is hope again of a return to normality in a few months. Until the vaccine has been widely distributed and herd immunity established there will be problems.
The roll out started on Dec 8 with a 91 year old Fermanagh lady Margaret Keenan who lives in Coventry the first person in the world to be vaccinated.
But now on 19 th December more bad news as the virus has mutated to a new variant and now possibly 70 % more infectious. Another lockdown is coming and disasterous for so many people hoping to get together for Christmas. The battle against covid rages on and unfortunately no end in sight for a long time yet.
What a year and 2021 is not going to be easy.
Sat 11 April we had our first ever family quiz on “Zoom”. I had never heard of this new platform which emerged during the lockdown. It is a spruced up Skype which has suddenly become a popular phenomen all over the world as people needed to link up on line. Being able to see all the participants is handy and we used Liz' ipad here at home.
Of course it was not without incident as we all tried to log on we got cut off several times before we all managed to see or hear each other.Also there is a 40 min time limit which passes very quickly as Mum has to have a quick chat with everyone before we even get near starting the quiz !! Joseph was late from work and we waited for him. We had the full family including Ciaran from NZ “The herbalist “and Jorja.
Kendal teamed up with Mum for some unknown reason ....Kendal trying to stay in Liz's good books HaHa !
3 rounds and each taking 20 min David was the quiz master using powerpoint to show the questions . Very slick by David obviously familiar with online learning. But it still seemed like a lifetime to get through just 3 rounds.
Then a tense finish as Liz and Kendal initially won by a point but this was soon disputed by James and Aoife. A tie breaker question "which country in Africa has the highest population?" James first said South Africa then Nigeria so after much debate another final tiebreaker question was agreed. "How many grand prix has Lewis Hamilton won ??" 6 said Liz in a flash. So Liz and Kendal had won they were ecstatic and James and Aoife were gutted …a shock defeat for the deadly duo…. Aoife and James were not happy at this unexpected defeat. They tried to wriggle another final tie breaker question but no dice from the girls!
Sat 18 th April . Another Zoom quiz and tough questions this time Ciaran had Jorja to help him but Aoife and Kendal were the winners.
No dispute this time but some low scoring rounds very few knowing the name of dad's lawn mower …..Black Beauty !! or the link between potatoes and tomatoes …..
The Zoom quizes went on for weeks and we all finally could take no more of this torture so abandoned the zoom quiz for ever .... Zoom fatigue was the ultimate winner .......
This was both a very exciting and disappointing year for Aoife. In pre Covid Feb Aoife was called to attend an interview in Glasgow for a two year rotational job. This was a very competitive interview and Aoife was delighted when she heard the good news that she was succesful. So a job all sorted before qualifying.
But still a dissertation to complete and final placement. Then Covid struck and all clinical placments were cancelled as the country braced itself for armageddon or worse ! All lectures were on line with no face to face contact.
In March Aoife was working hard on her dissertation and it was a painful process for us all. The suffering was tangible and there were good and bad days as every student can remember the huge effort to get this very important work completed.
However on Fri 10 April there was huge joy as Aoife submitted her dissertation Alleluia !! We rang Nana Tangney immediately to tell her to race down to the parish church and quinch the two dozen candles she had been lighting for Aoife for weeks. Also to cut back on the novenas and rosaries!
Mon 18 May was a historic day in the Tangney household as Aoife submitted her last essay.
The Thurs 21 May was yet another historic day as Joe and Aoife empty her Aberdeen flat. This was a long awaited day and the last student flat clearance after 14 years….. dad was hoovering and pouring sweat as James' car was filled to the brim. Of course Joe (Dyson) had been well trained in the flat emptying procedure and all that house cleaning practice at home also paid off. Years of training under the watchful eye of a seasoned boss !!
The flat was suddenly looking so much better in fact... pristine is the best word to describe it and it was now very hard to leave this lovely student flat!
This time there were no final farewells to flat mates as everybody had gone home. The end of student life for Aoife without the usual tearful hugging emotional last farewell …What a terrible year ! Another record fell as we travelled from Aberdeen to Fort William in 2 hours 55 min so the lockdown had one benefit with quieter roads. It is usually almost 4 hours and a difficult journey with windy roads most of the journey.
For a few weeks there was a mystery in our house . A buzzing noise in the sitting room every evening and no culprit found. Our house has always been a "hive" of activity so I wasn't alarmed...
The noise was coming from behind the curtain and we had searched repeatedly for the cause. Eventually we realised the noise was from just outside the window where wild bees had entered a tiny hole in the soffit board. This triggered much debate as to how are we going to get rid of them ?? Liz was keen to smoke them out but risked burning the house down so that plan was shelved. We have now a rota for bee watching and there is a real buzz about the place ....
Liz and Aoife enjoy a Koppenburg to celebrate Aoife's degree.
Great news as Aoife gets a 2:1 degree confirmed on Wed 24 June a big well done for Aoife who worked hard and we are very proud of her.
Aoife has now been working in Glasgow for six months and has been very busy with many covid patients in ITU and on the wards. It has been a baptism of fire but great experience and a year to remember no doubt.
It was very disappointing for all of us not to have a graduation ceremony for Aoife. The long awaited last one and usually a great day out for parents and family. However these are exceptional times and we can celebrate later.
As there was no graduation ceremony for Aoife we have had to improvise with her photo. I need to warn patients about Aoife's big strong physio hands !
Liz and myself went to visit Budapest the end of February before Covid caused chaos around Europe. We were there for 4 nights which is enough time to see this beautiful city. A city of two halves Buda and Pest divided by the river Danube .It's a friendly city to visit with lots of beautiful old buildings. It was't cheap to eat out but the Goulash and stuffed cabbage were good. We stayed in the centrally located Hotel Gellert which was fine. It's still has reminders of it's communist past and a time warp feel to it.
Joe said it was like "the shining " that might be a bit harsh but true !! However Liz was still afraid to wander about on her own in the long corridors !!
We had a hectic schedule walking over 20,000 steps each day with a new PB of 24,000. The Metro and trams are great value if you don't want to get fit. We visited the Central Market, Synagogue ,New York Café , the Basilica and Opera house the first day. The New York cafe is great for a luxury lunch treat. Then the Castle ,National Art Gallery, Shopping centre, Thermal baths , Parliament Buildings tour, Liberty Square and House of Terror . Hungary had a terrible time when under Russian Communist control after world war two until it beacame a republic in 1989. Fortunately it has thrived since then and now a popular tourist destination.
Budapest is famous for it's many thermal baths( 35C )which are also outside.They date back to Roman times and the mineral waters are very helpful for many medical conditions. However in February they were closed so we had to use the indoor baths. They are very relaxing and therapeutic. We would recommend Budapest for a short city visit and we enjoyed our trip.
Just what Joe needs .. ?
.jpg)
.jpg)
This year after just 33 years we went back for the first time to the Connemara Coast Hotel where we got married. As we arrived in the car park I felt nervous and started having flashback. I could feel the beads of cold sweat gather on my forehead like that of a condemed man as he walks towards the gallows. The Slattery family were not there to meet this time so Liz grabbed my arm and marched me into the hotel.
As we walked around the hotel there were many changes to the building and it is now much larger . But alas the door jamb that nearly killed me was still there. As our wedding ended I was carried on the shoulders of the two drunkest guests (who shall remain nameless) who raced towards the exit door . They seemed to forget that the door was only 6 feet high and hopped my head with almighty speed againt the jamb of the door. A direct hit right across my forehead and I started to see flashing lights. Was Liz going to be a widow the same day she got married ? My life flashed before me ...needless to say it just took a few milli seconds ..I was too young to die ...Anyway as luck would have it I had a few pints that day and was relaxed on impact so my head went backwards when hitting the jamb of the door. Had I been sober, I would have been dead no doubt !! The two boys carrying me had been slowed down by the collison and staggered and then threw me forwards to the ground . I was never so glad to hit the ground and sat there in a dazed state for a few minutes .
Liz must have heard of the near fatal accident and eventually came along to see if I was still alive and was not too happy when I lifted my head slowly as I looked at her rather blankly and said " Who are you ?"
Liz was in no mood for a joke. The rest is history as she whacked me across the head with her bouquet of flowers and said get up off the floor ...She then told me the shock news that we had got married earlier that day ...I had to take her word for it but ..... I vaguely remember the red laser dots on my chest in the church !!
Our garden shed has been neglected for decades and survived many an onslought from our boys when playing football or shinty in the garden. It was too full to use as a hiding place or refuge for Joe so it was time for a new shed. The 60th birthday present dilemma was solved for all the family and the shed was ordered. The shed demolition team consisted of Ronan who took great delight in battering the old shed down in a flash. Then the next morning and day of the big huge party (all 8 of us) Joseph arrived to help us assemble the new shed. In a few hours we had it all completed and its ideal and watertight.
Just in case you were wondering the shed has a complex security entrance system with both Iris and Irish recognition, Live Fingerprint recognition ( a cut off dead finger will be rejected ),baldy head recognition with random spiky hairs (in a unique pattern), polo shirt from Yves Saint Lauren collection, jacket by Armani, and Dolce and Gabbana suit. These are just a few of the security measures and also you may be asked for the maiden name of your dead great grandmother's best friend in primary school. Even the Russian hackers have not been able to crack this security system !
Of course you might be wondering why is the security so tight ? All of the above measures are to make sure a certain unnamed person.......cannot find Joe if he is hanging out in his manshed !!(Skye sports ,mini bar,pole dancers and hammock are awaited .... )
Out with the old !
Nigella
Borage
Leeds are promoted at last !
All comes to those who wait ! Yes after 16 long years in the football wilderness my boyhood team have finally been promoted back to the premiership. It will be a very exciting season ahead as Leeds energetic attacking style of football will be tested against the top teams. Their first match was against Liverpool and after a fantastic game Leeds lost 4-3. Next year James and myself hope to travel to Elland Road to watch a match covid permitting !
.jpg)
Premier League Table 24 Oct
Rafa wins the French Open 13 th time as he hammered Djokovic 6-0 6-2 7-5 in a masterclass display. This was Rafa at his vintage best and ended Djovokic's winning streak in 2020. This was probably Rafa's greatest ever slam final performance with a perfect straight sets victory. This wonderful win for Rafa was his 20 slam title win and equals Roger Federer's total. However the young guns are coming up with Thiem, Medvedev and Zerev all improving so next year will not be easy.
Jorja and Ciaran
Ciaran is still in Greymouth (South Island) and enjoying being Covid free in New Zealand as we all struggle over here. With New Zealand's strict controls they have been able to return to normal months ahead of most countries around the world so Ciaran is smiling at us. The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been been excellent during the pandemic and Labour re elected with a large majority in a landslide victory.
Over the last year Ciaran has been teaching Earth Science and enjoying the interaction with the pupils as he is still stuck in his teenage phase which is likely to last a few decades. Earth Science is ideal for Ciaran as similar to his degree in Enviromental Geoscience so he has plenty of enthusiam for this subject.
Ciaran has not had any space trips this year but is still very willing to tell any unfortunate individual about his trip last year so beware !
Jorja is a brave girl and we are surprised at her resilience !!
.jpg)
