When the pandemic hit, my life came crashing down around me. I lost my job, two close friends and – very quickly – my entire life savings. How could fate be so unfair? I wondered. When, if ever, would I get my old life back? A life of travel and adventure, set alight by the exhilaration of the unknown.
Like millions of fellow Britons, I soon found myself spiralling into a state of stress, anxiety and depression. For month after month, life became a protracted, breathless panic attack. With no end in sight, I knew I had to do something drastic, so I set off to explore Britain by bike, to find hundreds of resilient Britons who were all, in their own way, riding out the storm, just like I was.
My new book, Riding Out, recounts my journey from Shetland to Scilly, and back again, passing through 55 counties and cycling 3,427 miles. It’s a memoir to grief, but also a love letter to Britain and its people. This is what I discovered about the nation I thought I knew.
The friendliest people are found in…
The Northern Isles
Some people were naturally wary of a stranger on a bicycle, but many more were eager to share their stories with me. In Shetland I ate one-clawed lobsters with Britain’s northernmost fishermen, then slept in the greenhouse of a remote bothy on the island of Bressay. In Orkney, I camped on a wild and windswept beach, but a local journalist dropped off a care package of crisps, beer and chocolate. I consider everyone I met as new friends.
