Hill's Ups and Downs

This is the story of Tony Hill's epic quest to get to the northernmost extremity of Britain on an old mountain bike and on the way, maybe find answers to some of life's most imponderable questions.

What do you do when your partner dies? Tony Hill decides to cycle 1,000 miles to the Shetland Isles from his home town in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. He wants time to reflect, out of the sad spotlight that inevitably falls on the bereaved. Away from the well-intentioned visits of familiar friends and family and into an anonymous world of unknown places with unknown people.

The trials are physical and emotional but rewards are found in the warmth of strangers and the discovery of inner peace. Exposure to all weathers is inevitable compounded by nights spent under canvas. Supermarkets, garages, cafes and most of all pubs provide welcome sanctuary and the opportunity to break the loneliness of the road.