Riding Out

Wow! I have just finished this book I’m now attempting to find some words to describe this book (gets out thesaurus). Dazzling, Astounding, Gut-wrenching, Remarkable, Kick-Ass. There ya go a few words to give you an idea of just how good this is. I’ve read a few books now which cover the events of the Covid pandemic but none feel quite as important as this one, a proper good piece of journalism looking into how the lockdowns and incompetent government affected the people of Scotland and England, with a big focus on mental health.

Simon Parker is a travel journalist and was unable to work during the lockdown, he was dealing with the loss of a childhood friend, unable to pay the mortgage and overwhelmed by everything that was going on, so what he did was try to escape it all by going on a cycling journey. Starting off in the Shetlands he cycles the length of those islands, then the Orkneys before hitting mainland Scotland, wild camping as much as possible and staying somewhere warm only when he couldn’t possible handle the elements any more. Gradually he cycles around the coast with a break for the second lockdown (unfortunately missing out Wales due to the border being closed) eventually heading north again. And during the whole of this journey he uses his unique skill of getting people to open up to find how life has been for them.

I think this book is less about the cycling and more an anthropological study of the British people, he comes across the shining beacons of kindness far more times than I expected, it was wonderful to read his journey and to see the updates on twitter taking their effect and people reaching out again and again (totally gutted I missed this event). I’ve read a number of books about people travelling around the world and relying on the kindness of strangers and always thought you’d never get this kindness in Britain….so glad to be proven wrong. And of course he does meet the odd total bell-end but comes out mostly unscathed.

He has committed himself fully to this task, no shortcuts and no support system following him on the road, he shares the highs and lows with the reader, those moments he was overwhelmed I felt I was there…those moments when he woke up hungover I was also there shaking my head and tutting. I do feel a sort of kinship with him, at one point he says there is nothing on Earth worth visiting when 1000s of others are also there, that’s exactly how I am, I’ll put the effort into trying to find that place nobody else bothers to go to.

This is one of those once in a lifetime books you’ll come across, somebody has truly put themselves through hell and then has the talent to put those experiences into words, if you don’t give it a go then you’re poorer for missing out. The big question now is has this book inspired me to get out there and go on an adventure to find myself? Well the bike is in the shed and does look like it’s comfy at the moment…maybe if there is a zombie apocalypse I’ll get out for a long bike ride.

Blog review: felcherman.wordpress.com/2022/05/08/riding-out-a-journey-of-love-loss-and-new-beginnings-by-simon-parker/