The waiting is finally over for the arrival of "Baby T."
The babyshower and babysitter selection interviews took place in Sept.
An outbreak of "Pseudo-Labour" hits Fort William.
On Monday morning the 7th of Oct the action began when Kendal started in early labour which was on her actual due date. So James was well prepared and all ready for the journey north up to Raigmore hospital in Inverness a 70 mile journey on a bad road.
By Monday afternoon Liz was now in sympathetic pseudo labour with Kendal. It was a deja vu moment for Joe as
Liz was now pacing around the room with occasion expletives and long loud sighs saying “never again “ as Joe ran out of the room in case Liz might get over expressive. This labour contagion spread quickly and later reported to have found Joseph who also started pseudo-labour even though he was down in Glasgow 100 miles away.
As the day went on we were all feeling very excited but also more anxious while waiting for the news. Frequent whatsApp messages to James for updates. Joseph was also slightly nervous and we had constant messages for updates. By 2am Liz and I decided to go to bed but could not sleep with both the worry and excitement.
Liz was now taking deep breaths and clenching her fist asking for the "Gas and Air " …Joe again moved right to the edge of the bed and ready to escape quickly if needed (an essential survival skill for an experienced dad).
Finally on Tues 8th Oct 03.01 a beautiful baby boy safely arrived weighing 7lbs 8oz
Wee Baby Angus Arrives on Kendal's Birthday
Proud parents James and Kendal
So Kendal's birthday present this year was a beautiful wee boy called Angus !!
James broke the news to us about 03.30 and we were delighted and relieved in equal measure. Kendal did us proud with her resilience. Joseph was informed of the safe arrival and he went off to bed happy. To hear a baby is safely delivered and in good condition is such a relief as the journey can be hazardous. The more you know the worse it is!
We were all so happy to hear the wonderful news and overjoyed beyond belief. We went up to Raigmore in Inverness on Tues afternoon with Aoife to see Kendal and James who were over the moon but exhausted.
Wee Angus Stewart Tangney had finally arrived and our joy is just immeasurable.
These are the happiest of days for James and Kendal and we are just so delighted for them. They will be wonderful parents and wee Angus is such a lucky boy.
There is no greater joy than holding one's newborn baby while smiling at them
with a fixed gaze of contentment and just pure joy.
A tsunami of joy spread quickly around the world as the good news broke on Tues morning the 8th of Oct.
Of course the immediate question of “Who is he like ?“ comes up and the Tangney family claim wee Angus but that is up for debate on a daily basis. I rang my mother in Ireland who is almost 90 years old and she broke the news to all the Irish relations. She was delighted to have such good news to spread. The wonderful news of Angus' safe arrival has brought huge joy and happiness to so many people who know our families and James and Kendal. It's hard to believe that it is now almost 6 years since James' accident and James, Kendal and wee Angus have brought us all immense joy over the past years and will continue in the future no doubt.
Angus is our new first grandchild and a very special baby. Liz is absolutely delighted and has been kidnapping wee Angus at every opportunity. Liz's knitting has continued and Angus has many hats and cardigans to choose from every day
Angus is the first new Tangney boy for 28 years since his uncle Joseph was born in Fort William in 1996.
Interestingly James was also born in Raigmore in Inverness in 1990.
James and Kendal got home on Wed 9 th Oct and it has been a very busy week. Down for a first dinner to our house on Fri. On Sat Kendal's mum Mandy and granny Elizabeth came over for the weekend to see Angus . They were all delighted and came down to our house for dinner on Sun to celebrate our new arrival.
4 Generations together : Granny Mandy,great granny Elizabeth,Angus and Kendal
Now 10 weeks old Angus is smiling , feeding well and sleeping better at night.
We are all jostling to hold him and constantly admiring him. The first week was filled with fun as the old photo albums of the boys have been pulled out and comparisons to his uncles.
Angus looks very like David as a baby ….but that opinion changes every day.
So a very eventful first 10 weeks with a mixture of initial anxiety, excitement and then pure joy with the safe arrival of a beautiful a baby boy wee Angus Stewart Tangney.
These are just wonderful happy times for us all and we look forward to watching wee Angus grow up in the coming years. I have warned him already about his uncles (some more than others and you know who you are) and Aoife has taken full custody of the favourite Tangney auntie spot in perpetuity !!
The Fort William shinty club are also delighted as they now know James will be coaching shinty for the next 20 years or more !!
Wee Angus enoys all the fame and attention at 1month old.
Angus makes his first flight to Belfast to visit all the first cousins
The 5 Tangney boys just a few years ago
Wedding Preparations
The Hen and Stag Parties
The Garland Girls
In April we enjoyed meeting with Georgina's parents Kevin and Jean down in York.
David and Georgina's Wedding. "Posh and Becks" Big Day Out.
Sat 21 Dec 2024
The long awaited day finally arrived after months of planning by Georgina and David for their wedding day. David will openly admit that Georgina was the main wedding planner and he filled in some of the gaps. It was more difficult for them as they live in Dubai so had to use email mainly for communication and booking. Liz and myself travelled to York on Thurs 19th Dec in order to meet David and Georgina as we knew the day before the wedding would be hectic. We had a meal in the Guy Fawkes Inn and it was great to see them so relaxed and happy together. Fortunately Georgina's parents were able to store wedding material and decorations in their house in Stratford on Avon and then bring it up to York for the big day.
The city of York is beautiful with a very interesting history of Roman occupation around 71 AD until the end of the Roman empire and the Vikings were also based there having first raided York in 866. York Minster Cathedral is spectacular and was built 1230-1472 but has been a place of Christian worship since 637AD. It is a very busy city especially with the Christmas markets and we found it very friendly for visitors.It's not a large city and very easy to walk to the tourist sites. We stayed in the Hilton Hotel in Tower Street which is very central and close to the railway station so helpful for guests.
On Fri afternoon and evening most of the guests who arrived were mainly from Ireland and Scotland. We were delighted to catch up with so many family members and friends who were able to join us for the big day. Our last big family gathering was in March 2022 when James and Kendal got married in Glasgow. We had a family meal on Fri evening and then a pre wedding guest gathering in the "Rose within the Walls" in the Hilton. There was a large crowd there and it was great to meet friends and some of Georgina's family for the first time. Some of us had an early night in anticipation of the busy wedding day but many more who shall remain nameless had a late one !!
The very impressive York Minster Cathedral
The Scottish and Irish Invasion of York
The Big Day
On Sat morning the schedule was hectic especially for the girls. The hairdressers and make up artists were working at high speed from the crack of dawn as the clock ticked for the wedding. There was a mixture of excitment and anxiety in the air all mixed together as the morning went by quickly with people passing each other in the hotel lobby and only time for a brief chat. The organisational task involved in a wedding is substantial and it certainly is easier from the grooms side but it is a big team effort with lots of people able to help with the various tasks. Having a large family can be helpful at times like this and Georgina's parents were very busy having to transport lots of wedding decorations etc.
Joseph and Rebecca collected the 10 hire kilts in Glasgow on Fri and then distributed them on Sat morning. The six groomsmens were all wearing the same tartan and the Tangney boys a different tartan. The Tangneys don't yet have our own tartan but we are working on it ! wee Angus might be able to swing it for us.
The wedding itself was held in a specialised wedding venue about 25 min outside the city called "The Normans" which is a great venue.The traffic in York is just terrible as narrow streets which are heavily congested most of the time. Every journey needed additional time alocated and we had hired two buses to bring some guests to the venue. This proved very helpful and much easier than individual taxis for the guests. Off we went at 12.40 and arrived at the Norman's after about 20 min. We then had a drink and the ceremony began at 2pm. It was a civil ceremony which was brief with no waffle. When I said to Aoife there was no waffle she quickly replied "Thats your job dad "
Georgina's mum Jean and Liz both did readings which were great and very fitting for the proud mothers.
Anne Marie (Joe's sister) and her husband Philip.
Joe,Ciaran,Aoife, Liz
Joseph, Rebecca,Aoife Emily, Ciaran, James
(the wedding shoe police team)
The New Mr & Mrs Tangney Emerge
The beautiful bridesmaids
The full Davis Family. Kevin ,Jean and their 7 children.
After drinks and canapes we went into the main dining reception room . It was a very cold December day but dry outside with a bitterly cold wind while the photographer took the family photos. We were all glad to get the photos finished and get back inside . "Woody" who is David's long time friend since they worked in camp America over 18 years ago was the MC for the occasion. First up for the speeches was Georgina's dad Kevin who gave a very emotional speech . Kevin is a true gentleman and so proud of his family which was very evident in his speech. Kevin and I are both delighted to see David and Georgina so happy together which is all most parents want for their children. Then I was up next and was able to remind the guests of David's childhood problems and sporting prowess especially playing golf !!
We had a fantastic meal which was in platter format both the starter and main course. There was a great buzz of excitement in the venue with lots of chatter and laughter all day. Our David gave a lovely speech and recounter how he and Georgina bumbled into each other. The Best Man was David Cassidy who was in top form and delivered a brilliant witty and accurate speech looking back at his time with his old flat mate David. He was even able to give a demonstration of how David runs with his characteristic T Rex dinasour style and his golfing career misfortunes. Also Woody gave a brief speech and it was a very entertaining afternoon with all the speakers having a different style and humorous tales.
After the very enjoyable meal there was a break then the first dance. The dance floor was busy all night and we had a great night. After midnight we all travelled back to the hotel exhausted after a hectic few days. The kilted men tried to go to some night clubs but were refused entry with the excuse of "No Fancy Dress allowed here" ...Shouting "Freedom" did not help their cause but lets leave it at that !!
One final result to report from the wedding was that "Team Tangney" wiped out "Team Davis" in the 4 brother speed pint drinking contest......all those years of training in the Tangney basement have finally paid off !!
Liz and Kevin
Jean and Kevin
Kendal, James and Wee Angus
Many of the guests were teachers so Joe was on his best behaviour all day !
The new Dubai Boy Band "No Direction " Barry,David,Woody,David,Shane
A toast to the new Mrs Tangney
Barry,David and Graeme
The Day After and Beyond.....
A bit windy for Joseph's hair while visiting Paddington Bear .
On Monday we had breakfast at Brancusi which was delicious before we all said farewell
and headed home.
It was a brilliant weekend of fun and laughter with a lively crowd. David and Georgina went back to Dubai on Mon evening before leaving for their honeymoon next day.
(David is still in his wedding day trance )
Ronan is now in New Zealand
Roy's Peak Wanaka New Zealand
Arthur's Pass Devil's Punchbowl
Ronan has been working in Papanui High School in Christchurch since July 2024 and settling into life in New Zealand . He has been exploring the South Island and enjoyed his trip to Wanaka, Roy's Peak, Queenstown and Milford Sound. The scenery is spectacular and the scale or beauty cannot be captured in a photo.
Ronan was born in the North Island in Dargaville so a true kiwi and hope to visit his birthplace next year.
Milford Sound
Ciaran is in Perth Australia
Ciaran amazingly is the current Western Australia Teachers' Squash champion.
Many of you like me might find this hard to believe but he said it was easy after his trip home to Fort William last Christmas when he had intense tuition from his athletically gifted father.
This is just Ciaran's second medal since aged one year when he won the local "Bonny Baby" contest
(in which he was the only contestant).
Ciaran wins Student to Staff award in Guilford Grammar School
Thanks." - Trinity Year
(PS. It took Ciaran ages to write that review with the help of Chat GPT)
"Putting the Real Tangney back in Tangney"
Sam Lim who is the Federal Member for Tangney district in Perth does not seem to take Ciaran seriously when he told him that he is going to challenge him for his Tangney seat at the next election.
Joseph competes in the most "hotly contested" Ben Race ever.
Sat 7 Th Sept 2024
Joseph and Aoife came up with Ranjit for the Ben race Fri night . Joseph was just after 4 night shifts so not 100% he declared before the race getting his excuses in early ...
The entire summer has been cold and wet until Sat 7 Sept. An incredible 25C and a glorious day for everybody except the runners.
Nobody was prepared for or expecting 25C on the 7 th of Sept in the Highlands of Scotland.
The build-up in Claggan Park was exciting as ever with all the runners getting warmed up and ready for the off at 1pm. A great big crowd was there to cheer on their runners. Lochaber Athletic club had 147 athletes in the race and they posed for the annual photo below.
The Lochaber Athletic Team and Joseph 7th from the left
Mo, Ranjit and Joseph all smiles before the race.
Everyone knew it was going to be hard with the sunshine and took extra water. Off they go at 1pm and over 500 contestants leave Claggan Park with the pipes playing. The ice cream van had a queue and the bouncy castle was getting busy as well. The wee girls did their Highland dancing while the athletes started to suffer on the Ben.
Aoife and her friends posed for photos
Everyone in the park was enjoying the sunshine and this was the hottest day of the year undoubtedly. This could not have been worse for the runners. Unfortunately, many runners were now returning to the park within an hour and a half as they had turned back due to the oppressive heat and conditions.
Usually Finlay Wild who was not taking part this year having won the last 12 Ben races would have been home after 1.28 but nobody was to be seen. Eventually the winner Alistair Thornton crossed the finish line at 1:51 . The top 10 were in by 2:02 There were some very gaunt looking athletes coming in to finish while barely able to stand. The hot conditions were taking their toll on the athletes and after 3 hours I was getting worried about Joseph. I was expecting him back about 2:30 and he did 2:10 on his first Ben.
Luckily Ranjit and Liz went up near the Achintee Inn and met Joseph who was really struggling to stay standing and almost fainting. Liz gave him some fluids and He held on to Ranjit while barely able to walk. In what seemed like eternity he eventually made it back to Claggan Park and Ranjit ran beside Joseph. Over the finish line at last with Isla who was also suffering due to heat exhaustion with a slow time of 3:22:28
Thrown to the ground and totally exhausted we got some fluids into Joseph and some ice to help cool him down. The hardest part is the fact that Martyn Cameron "Teeny" beat Joseph which will be hard to live down for many a year.
Isla on the left and Jospeh are barely able to stand
Only 375 runners finished the race this year with 125 not finishing which is the highest number I have seen in 29 years. The hot day caused carnage on the Ben. Most runners were 20-30 min slower than usual due to the scorching heat on the day.
It is most likely the hottest day ever in which the Ben has been run and after the worst summer ever !!
Nobody was prepared for or expecting 25C on the 7 th of Sept in the Highlands of Scotland.
So, one Ben race to remember for all the wrong reasons and casualty had a busy evening.
The next day was just 15C overcast with rain ….a day too late for the exhausted athletes.
Wee baby Rosie Cameron made her first Ben appearance and was much admired.
While her dad Sean tells everyone that "The epidural was great "
Ranjit 1:34:24 (38/173) Rebecca 1:34:23(3/143) Joseph 1:26:09 (17/173)
PB for Rebecca and Joseph
A big well done to Rebecca who was third fastest female.
More than 20,000 runners took part in the Great Scottish Run Weekend on the streets of Glasgow.
Rebecca and Ranjit tool part in the Oct half marathon and Rebecca had a very impresive time of 1.34:11 beating her trainer,father, mentor, Ranjit who had a time of 01.35:18
Rebecca's 1minute and 7 seconds gargantuan victory is still hurting Ranjit who doesn't want to discuss it!!
He is still coming to terms with his loss of pride as his "wee bairn" went running past him and he was left speechless which is unusual if you know Ranjit !
In order to help Ranjit deal with his grief reaction I have found the above very rare photo
(sourced after hours of searching in my vast archives )which show Ranjit in the lead position in a race.
This may well be the last ever photo of Ranjit leading in a race so savour this precious memory.
Aoife comes back home at last ....
Aoife has returned home from her travels and arrived back in Glasgow from Japan on Mon April 4th
The airport were taking no chances with Aoife's arrival.
Mum is overjoyed to have Aoife back home
A Big Year of Shinty
The victorious West of Scotland team who beat the East 2-0 in a close thrilling encounter.
Aoife has enjoyed being back home in Scotland to play shinty again with the Glengarry Ladies team. It has meant that we see Aoife more often at home as she works in Glasgow and it means considerable travelling up to the Highlands for the matches but Aoife really enjoys the sport and the Glengarry girls.
Elaine ,Aoife and their West team coach Laura MacKay
Player of the year 2024
The EUROS "No Scotland No Party."
THE TARTAN ARMY INVADES GERMANY IN JUNE
"No Scotland No Party" and Flower of Scotland rang out everywhere.
The Euros started Fri 13 th June and Scotland were hammered by Germany 5-1.Sadly Scotland played their worst match and Germany were in top form.
However the Tartan Army were brilliant and over 200,000 fans went to Germany as it was back in 1998 when Scotland last qualified for a major tournament. The fans were in party mode and well behaved winning the hearts of the locals.(sadly that is all Scotland won).
James and Kendal went to the Euros and had a great time. They were at the Switzerland match 1-1 draw and a thrilling game. They had great seats with a good view of the pitch. Also James had tickets for the Hungary match when Scotland were robbed of a clear penalty. James and Calum Lovatt were at that match which finished 1-0 to Hungary.
It's the first time that James' generation have had a chance to celebrate having a Scottish football team in a big tournament after a 26 year drought .
James, Darren,Dave ,Sam Lees, Sam Kane and half of Fort William were there and had a fantastic time. Kendal and Debbie enjoyed the trip and the big occasion.
The sight and sound of the fans march to the stadium was awesome .The 50 pipers leading thousands of fans on the few kilometres walk to the stadiums was fantastic with the street lined with locals who were cheering them on.
In the Cologne stadium for the match against Switzerland there was a carnival like atmosphere and then a spine tingling moment when Scottish fans sang the Flower of Scotland . This was just pure magic and the raw emotion was tangible even over here in Scotland. A moment never to forget.
The game in Munich against Germany (The Murder in Munich) is one to forget and Stuttgart likewise against Hungary but the Switzerland draw was a cracker and the team restored national pride.
