Oarsome! Sir David Tang’s widow to row 2,400 miles

SOCIETY mourned the death of Hong Kong tycoon Sir David Tang, who died two years ago after a battle with liver cancer.

Now his widow, Lucy, below with her husband, is taking on a daunting challenge to give back to the team who looked after her late husband in his final days at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.

The 51-year- old is taking part in the Great Pacific Race next year, which entails rowing 2,400 nautical miles from San Francisco to Hawaii.

A friend tells me; ‘She is valiantly rebuilding her life after the shock of his death. Lucy wanted to give back to the Marsden palliative care team who looked after her husband so well.

‘I think she is terrified as this is outside her comfort zone. But knowing her she will rise to the occasion.’

Lady Tang wed the founder of fashion brand Shanghai Tang in 2003 after his first marriage to Susanna Cheung, with whom he had two children, Edward and Victoria. She stayed by Sir David’s side at the hospital until he died and has received plaudits from friends including Lady Annabel Goldsmith and interior designer Nicky Haslam for embarking on such an audacious adventure. Despite being nervous about the forthcoming expedition, she is no stranger to such a gruelling odyssey. She proudly holds the title of being the first woman in Hong Kong to have completed the Four Deserts Grand Slam — four 155-mile marathons across Atacama, Gobi, Sahara and Antarctica. She is also a qualified yoga teacher specialising in Ayurveda. Friends of Sir David will be supporting her along the way, including the Duchess of York who said when he died: ‘We laughed, we cried, and we lived every moment. He made castles in the sky for my girls and I, we travelled the world together with him and his steadfast and devoted Lucy by his side always.’

annE rEID reckons that she has been blessed with what she calls the ‘Eric Morecambe syndrome’. ‘He had only to walk on, and people would roll in the aisles because they expected him to be funny,’ says the 84-year-old actress, who most recently starred opposite John Cleese in the hit BBC sitcom Hold The sunset. ‘I think people now expect me to be good — so you’re halfway there before you even open your mouth. It’s very gratifying.’