We All Need Heroes

A WALK AROUND BRITAIN

Chapter: Spread of Joy

During the years 2003 to 2011, two young men (Ed and Will) travelled by foot across Britain. They made journeys around the British Islands for as long as they could; some of these lasted for about nine months, while others were much shorter. They had no money, but managed simply by living in the wild and relying on the hospitality of strangers. Ed and Will have been nicknamed everything from “the hobbits” to “the smelly ones”, and have been greatly appreciated by the people they’ve met. They claim that their faith in English hospitality has been restored after being treated so well.
    Their adventures was documented and put on a website, where their project termed A Walk Around Britain is presented. On the website they share skills they’ve learned and experiences they’ve had along the way. During their walks they’ve also gathered local stories which they also share on their site.
    Ed and Will’s tips for other people eager to make journeys like theirs is to always carry something with you to give away, and to give away things as often as possible. For Ed and Will, that something was songs. This was a practical gift in the sense that songs don’t weigh anything and there is an endless supply. When needing some money for the occasional beer, a new pair of socks or toilet paper, they sang traditional English folk songs in pubs, town squares and village gardens.


Possible Moral
Quotes from awalkaroundbritain.com, “Who We Are” (2011):
“Walking defines us. We are the upright strollers of the great ape family. The perspectives opened by walking are the keys to our kind. For the mind, soul and body, walking is an expansive act – it opens gates into the landscape, turning quick blurry images into smells, aches and wonders.
    It shows the hedgerows daily bubble toward glory, then fade to cold sleep. It lets you hear the birds, screaming the seasons. It welcomes you direct into the great event of life on these islands. No other qualifications are needed; just go out, and be on foot”.
    “For today’s people, living in 21st century England, coming-of-age ceremonies are plastic and terrible. With our elders locked in overheated boxes, our children protected from everything, how then shall we grow? With whose help shall we learn our abilities and strengths, to know our land, and our place amongst everything?”.
    "The journey gives encounters that can shake everything previously learned, meetings whose significance seems to echo through earliest memories. Walking allows fate to get closer”.


Story from We All Need Heroes: Stories of the Brave and Foolish.
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