Inspirational hero Karl Bushby walked the mist-ical Humber Bridge ahead of his return to Hull city centre
Karl Bushby leaves Barton-Upon-Humber to cross the Humber Bridge(Image: Donna Clifford/Hull Live)
A bleak, mist-clad Humber Bridge failed to dampen the inspiration of the homecoming of Hull hero Karl Bushby. Scores of people joined him on one of the last legs of his 28-year-long voyage across the globe on foot.
The mist descended and the drizzle soaked everyone on the bridge, but no-one seemed to mind. They followed Karl and his handcart, known as The Beast, northbound to show their admiration and love for a true hero of Hull.
After his genuinely warm reception to everyone who wanted to meet and greet Karl at the George Inn in Barton, he set off up to the bridge. Karl met with legendary director, Werner Herzog on the southside of the bridge. Herzog, of Jack Reacher and Fitzcarraldo fame, embraced Karl and told of the “last piece of the film” he is making on Karl Bushby’s journey. “I have 1,200 hours of film. I could make 20 films of his journey. This is the last piece,” he said.
As I attempted to file a description of the scene and the people following the intrepid adventurer from my phone, I quickly realised I was falling behind the crowd. Typing is what reporters do quickly. Typing and walking among a crowd is still a lesson in progress. So the “walk across the bridge” turned into a jog to catch up.
Sergeant Will Harrison of Humberside Police, joined by two fellow officers to ensure everyone’s safety on the bridge, said: “He’s going at a fair clip.” I had not run the west side of the bridge before – I did the east side on my Humber Marathon in 1987 from Hull to Grimsby. That was only 26.1 miles compared to the 30,000+ miles and 29 countries Karl has completed.
It was not long to catch up with Karl who has experienced all kinds of extreme weather – a bit of fog could not bother him. He told me when crossing the desert he suffered nose bleeds and fainting episodes and quickly learned to walk at night instead of the day.
The view from the bridge was minimal. But Mr Herzog said: “It is beautiful. The fog and rain. It is pure life. At the other end of the bridge is Yorkshire, Northumbria, Scotland, The Hebrides and Orkney. I have travelled hundreds of miles in Europe and walked distances of 500 to 600 miles. It isn’t the distance that matters, it is what you encounter on the route. It is life itself.”
I spoke to him of the kindness of strangers which Karl said he experienced walking more than 30,000 miles around the globe. Karl said he would not have done it without the kindness from people feeding him and offering him accommodation.
The renowned director said: “It is not just kindness. When you go on foot something concrete sets in. There may be hospitality. But there is something more which is sacred and primordial. It is not just kindness. People have given food and shelter and defended him against the outside, along his journey.”
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The bridge walk was joined by members of Barton Good-to-Talk-and-Walk group who had already completed their weekly walk through Barton to the nature reserve on the South Bank. Among them was appropriately named Lisa Shakleton, 71, who joked about her namesake, and Antarctic explorer, Ernest Shackleton.
The daughter of former Hull Daily Mail editor, Tom Hoy, said she remembered Karl growing up on the Sutton Park estate and the day he left Hull. “I work on a Monday so I wanted to be here to welcome him back,” she said. She joined Lorraine Morrison, of Barton, and Norman Hornsby to meet Karl on the bridge.
Parents Sam and Emma Kemp, of Barton, took their three children, Summer, five, Skye, seven and Harvey, 10, for the bridge walk with Karl. Emma said: “Our son is learning about geography and was impressed with Karl’s walk. When we heard he was coming to the area we decided to join in.”
Sam laughed about the bleak weather and said: “This is what you get. All those sights after 28 years around the world and you come home to this.”
Carl Brunning , 63, waited on The Humber Bridge to shake Karl’s hand as he stepped off the bridge. Carl, of North Ferriby, who suffered a devastating back injury falling from a mountain in the Lake District, said: “What a life well-lived he has had. What an inspiration. I live part of my time in Australia so we are both adventurous. It was humbling to meet him.” He was helped by his village neighbours on to the bridge.
Karl took time to stop and talk and shake hands with everyone who wanted to meet the hero who came home. They shared in the honour as we all did, of meeting a man of courage and vision and passion. He will meet all his family in Hull as he walks into the city on his final leg of an epic voyage and he will be embraced with their love and relief that he is home safe.
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