John Hillaby, who died in 1996, was an English travel writer and explorer.
Journey through Britain – John Hillaby
I’ve read two of his books, ‘Journey through Britain’ and ‘Journey through Europe’.
The joy of Hillaby’s work is his old-school approach to hiking and travel writing.
He doesn’t go on endlessly about gear, make tediously unfunny quips or bitch about the lack of WiFi access (the two books above are both pre-internet).
Oh, and he can actually write; with wit, charm and intelligence, now that is a rarity!
Hillaby also enjoyed roughing it a bit, he’d walk a 25 mile day (fuelled by fried eggs and pints from local pubs), find a wooded space and settle down for a good sleep. A wild camper in all senses.
Here’s a quote from ‘Journey through Britain’:
On the brow of the Quantocks that night I settled down on a little platform of heather where the coast of Wales could be seen across the splendour of Bridgewater Bay…An owl called a roll through the pine trees; swifts screamed and hinds grazed in the dingle below. For a little time there seemed to be no time that I could recall with greater pleasure. I slept for nine hours.
Both books mentioned above are out of print but easy to find via the usual channels, I can’t recommend them highly enough.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Both are wonderful books.
I read his first when I was a boy and it was the inspiration for my own LEJOG. I’m currently planning a Rotterdam to Nice walk, following in the old boy’s footsteps.
Alan,
I actually managed to get his on Amazon for a whole 1 pence (plus £2.50 P&P – go figure). Looking forward to a good read, I think with deserved respect it should be packed in the rucksack and opened in the hills, not at home.
By the way, I added your blog to my blogroll, any chance of returning the favour?
Good luck with the kidney, hope to bump into you on the TGO.
~ Fozzie
Hi Keith
Thanks for that – and I have now added you to my blog roll – not sure why you were missing really! I blame the management – they haven’t been looking after my blog too carefully recently. It’s due for a bit of a shake-up soon!
Many thanks and we best message somewhere else now on and not take liberties on Martin’s page
– Thanks Martin!
Hi Alan, thanks for dropping by. I like your idea of retracing Hillaby’s European walk, when are you planning to do this?
I was just thinking this afternnon about when I used to go walking pre internet. No mobiles, no internet, no wifi. No pre booking bed and breakfast – just take your chances when you get there.
Walking as it should be, after all we do it to escape.
I think I may have to get that book . . .
~ Fozzie
HI Keith, thanks for dropping by. Glad you managed to get hold of a copy of the book and I really enjoyed your Camino book. When are you planning to publish yr AT book?
Martin,
Humble thanks for buying the book and glad you enjoyed it. The AT book was due to be out March but it has been put back till the summer, I have decided to concentrate on blogging in the meantime. It’s nice to get thanks for the Camino book, most people seem to buying The PCT account.
Great to see a mention for these books. Journey Through Britain inspired me to walk Land’s End to John O’Groats and thus triggered my love of long distance walking. Journey Through Love, which contains a long section on Hillaby’s hike along part of the Appalachian Trail, is also worth reading.
Sounds as if Hillaby inspired quite a few people to do the Land’s End to John O’Groats walk – see Alan’s comment above. Will keep a look out for Journey Through Love, thanks for the tip-off.
Great books, I discovered a couple of years ago while researching my family tree that I was actually related to him, 5th cousin once removed I think it was! Wish I could write like he did, really must get back to updating my blog more regularly!
Another couple of oldies to reminisce about:
Clear Waters Rising – Nicholas Crane
Travels with Boogie – Mark Wallington
I haven’t reed the Wallington book, will check the library/ebay for a copy pronto.
I really enjoyed the Crane book, an inspiring read. If you liked that then you’ll LOVE ‘Mean Feat. A Three Thousand Mile Walk Through Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland’ by John Waite. You can get a cheapo copy here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thousand-Through-Portugal-France-Switzerland/dp/0946609195
No more!
Reading pile getting too high!
Sorry, late to this…
Hillaby was also a real inspiration for me; his first book sparked a romantic longing for long-distance walking, the countryside and the endless path. Wallington I didn’t enjoy that much — too jokey. Not so keen on the slew of other books it spawned either: those Bryson-esque ‘How I Travelled Round Ireland Dragging a Fridge Behind Me’ kind of mock-epics. The Crane I liked — but it was marred by its length and its unedited, boring chunks of history. Would have liked it to be little more poetic and personal. So many books have inspired me: Belloc’s ‘Path To Rome’, Stevenson’s ‘Travels With A Donkey’ and Alfred Brown’s ‘Tramping Through Yorkshire’ come immediately to mind — oh, and Patrick Leigh Fermor, of course. Many others. (I did read ‘Mean Feet’ a long time ago and liked it.)
Yes, agree with you about those tedious ‘Walked around X with an Y’, horrible books. Belloc and Stevenson, well we can only learn from the giants, eh?