Hildasay to Home : How I Found a Family by Walking the UK's Coastline

Author(s): Lewis, Christian
Binding: Other,
Date of Publication: 28/03/2024,
Pagination: 336 pages,
ISBN13\EAN\SKU: 9781035033782,
Description:

Walking saved his life. Now it will help find him a family.

Since his time on Hildasay, Chris’s adventure has only gotten wilder. No one was more surprised than Chris when, in November 2020, he had an unlikely (seemingly destined) encounter with fellow adventurer Kate. The two turned out to be kindred spirits and – even more astonishingly – Kate made the bold decision to join Chris on the walk of a lifetime. Day in, day out, as they trekked the coastline down from Scotland together, their relationship grew, and soon the couple were thrown in at the deep end when their first child – baby Magnus – arrived.

But, away from Scotland, Chris’s struggles with mental health returned. The solitude of Hildasay seemed far away, and he unravelled once again. Several times Chris was attacked by groups of youths because of his unruly appearance, and as a result he became more and more anxious and withdrawn, avoiding almost any interactions with new people.

Through injuries and setbacks, with Jet the dog ageing and baby Magnus growing by the day, the adventurous family of four had to find their feet and come together to complete this epic challenge. They’ve navigated the east coast of Scotland, through Yorkshire and East Anglia, and struggled on to the Jurassic Coast where Chris slowly came back into himself. With the home stretch to Wales in sight and almost half a million pounds raised, Chris reflects on all that he’s learned and the family he’s found for himself along the way.