Where Skylarks Sing von Patrick Davies

Reaching a major crossroads in 2021, Patrick Davies did the only thing he could think of - he set off alone with a pair of walking boots and a tent to walk the length of Britain in the hope of finding escape and answers. To many, Patrick appeared to have it all - a loving family, an enviable career that took him around the world, a rewarding future clearly mapped out. Then everything abruptly changed. He found himself returning to Britain without a job or a home to discover a family reeling from his father's dementia diagnosis and a country tearing itself apart after Brexit. In sharing his 1400-mile journey from the southernmost point of England to the northern tip of Scotland, Patrick explores issues of identity and belonging, anticipatory grief and the meaning of home against the backdrop of a world turned upside down. Where Skylarks Sing is an inspiring story of endurance and the healing power of walking told through the beautiful and varied landscapes of Britain.

Patrick Davies is an author and charity fundraiser. He was a diplomat for 25 years, serving in Morocco, Poland and Iran before wrapping up his career as the UK's Deputy Ambassador to the USA from 2013-18. The Covid-19 pandemic saw Patrick returning to the north of England to help care for his dad who has Alzheimer's Disease. When setting out to walk across the UK in 2021, he decided to use the journey to raise much needed money for research into the condition. Since then, he has continued his nomadic lifestyle, walking almost 800 miles across the Pyrenees from Biarritz to Barcelona in 2022 and 720 miles along France's eastern border, crossing the Vosges, Jura and the Alps, in 2023. From these two treks, he has raised a further £15,000 for Alzheimer's Research UK.