Riding Out by Simon Parker

A Journey of Love, Loss and New Beginnings

A travel memoir in which a journalist, reeling from personal loss and pandemic anxiety, sets off to cycle more than 3,000 miles around Britain, tracing coasts and backroads to meet people emerging from lockdown—farmers, fishers, publicans, islanders—and hear their stories of resilience, kindness, and hardship. As the miles accumulate, the landscapes and encounters help him process grief, confront mental health struggles, and rediscover purpose, creating a portrait of a country in recovery and the healing power of slow, human connection.