Tony Bishop's Record Breaking Walk

I met Tony on a chilly November day over coffee at the Post House Café. This bright and cheerful octogenarian hadn’t needed any downtime since returning from his 874-mile walk from John O’Groats to Land’s End, in fact he was keen to share that he would’ve happily walked another 15 mile stint the day after completing his extraordinary journey. He was full of stories of the people he met along the way, the magnificent landscapes and, of course, the weather! 

As with many challenges, the inspiration behind Tony’s came from a book. He read the wonderful ‘Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ which has since been made into a film starring Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton. The book is a powerful story of hope in adversity, and Tony’s experience very much echoed the stories of human connections in the book. When he found that the oldest man to take the journey previously was 76, the challenge was set.

Walking from one end of the country to another isn’t something to be taken lightly. Tony has always been fit and active, he said he’d run ‘a few’ marathons, with further conversation it turns out to be 30 marathons and ultra-marathons, including the gruelling 89km long Comrades Marathon in South Africa not once but four times! South Africa was his home for 46 years until he moved back to the UK and chose Henfield as his retirement home two years ago. His most recent marathon was age 67. It’s an impressive fitness CV, leaving him in a great position to attempt the Guinness World Record attempt to be the oldest man to walk from one end of the UK to the other!

The reason for choosing St Barnabas is simple; Tony’s sister was cared for by the Hospice, and Tony wanted to give back and say thank you for their care and kindness. He was aware of the fundraising efforts of the Henfield Friends of St Barnabas House through his friend Lesley Besson, and having the support of the Henfield Friends was a real boost to his enthusiasm. Donations are still coming in, at the time of going to print he’s raised over £7,000 to help St Barnabas continue their vital work.

Although photos of Tony’s arrival at Land’s End show a particularly rainy day, he was incredibly lucky to miss the almost biblical levels of rainfall we’ve experienced throughout November, in fact he missed Storm Ciaran by a matter of days. The relatively fine weather ensured that Tony experienced the best of the British countryside, which is, as he will advocate, some of the most beautiful in the world. However, returning home is always a pleasure and Tony points out that Henfield has some of the best walks – his personal favourite is the Downs Link to Southwater.

Although Tony completed the trip solo, he was fortunate to receive some wonderful support from his wife Sue, good friends and family who encouraged him via a very busy WhatsApp group and who helped with the practicalities of moving his luggage between each start and finish point. He wants to give his heartfelt thanks to them all. Even strangers took the time to chat and even donated to his fundraising page, sometimes literally throwing money at him!

“One funny moment was when I was walking up a rather arduous three-mile hill in the rain. A car pulled up alongside, the driver obviously felt sorry for me and offered a lift. When I asked him if he was going to Land’s End his face was a picture! Another time in Shrewsbury a rather burly looking fella called out ‘Oi, you in the yellow jacket!’ and thrust some cash into my hand. He thanked me for making him feel that he'd done something good that day. All these moments will live with me for a long time, it certainly restores your faith in mankind.”

Looking to the future, Tony loves to inspire others by his own actions and to encourage people to get moving. He is a local Health Walks volunteer, these small-group walks which are tailored to lots of different fitness levels and abilities, are a great way to get moving and walk in Tony’s footsteps. He’s not suggesting everyone walks 874 miles, but he does believe we can all do something and reap the health benefits. He’s also a great advocate of riding a bike and team sports, there’s certainly something for everyone in Henfield.

The final words need to go to Tony. He said; “It’s a good idea to question yourself, what can I do? Am I in a rut, have I fallen into habits and think I just can’t do it? Small steps achieve incredible results, so just take that first step! I am happy to walk with anyone so please do get in contact if you’d like someone to walk and talk with!”

If you’d like to walk with Tony, please feel free to email him on anthonycraigbishop423@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you.

Emma Cole