I have to get up early on the mornings I write these newsletters. Call me weird, but it always feels like a treat to be up at 5am – buying myself a couple of extra hours of this day – sipping black coffee at the kitchen table, enjoying the darkness and silence. Except this morning, for the first time this year, it is not silent. There is birdsong outside the window – spring is coming which fills me with delight (Liam Gallagher and Eminem too).

Thank you to the hundreds of you who filled in my survey about what direction I should go in now that I’ve finished writing Local (have I mentioned recently that I’ve written a book…? ). I’ve printed out your 25 pages of suggestions to mull over, and summarised the results here. I really, really appreciate your support.

In a similar vein, thank you for the hundreds of pieces of actionable self-help that you put forward. Lots of food for thought in there! I really enjoy doing ‘crowd-sourced’ work, gathering together feedback from hundreds of readers and looking for patterns and ideas.

I also enjoy writing these newsletters. And if you enjoy reading them, would you be so kind as to forward this email on to a few people who might also enjoy it? Thank you.

One of the regular bits of feedback I get every time I run a survey goes along the lines of ‘stop waffling so much and get to the good stuff!’ And so I shall, interspersed today with a few photos of dawn.

I hope you have a good day. I’m on my way to London to discuss the 49,000 miles of public footpaths that are at risk of being lost, to try to persuade my publisher to release a 10 year anniversary version of Microadventures (10 years! ), and then to find out if my book Against the Odds has won the Children’s Travel Book of the Year Award. I’m hard at work practising my mock-humble-surprised-victory face (and also my I’m-so-pleased-for-the-winner-even-though-inside-I’m-gutted face). Wish me luck!

• I’m speaking at the TEDx event in Reigate, Surrey, on April 25th. Also at the RGS in London on April 15th (members only). And also the ones I’ve mentioned previously in Ilkley, Betws, Keswick, Gateshead and Edinburgh! Please come along if you’re nearby.
• A throwback to one of my favourite ever filming projects. I absolutely loved making this in Iceland, years ago.
• A whopping, and excellent, list of excellent Adventure Books Written by excellent Women.
• I love the Five Books website. It’s so useful for finding good books to read. So I was delighted to be asked to contribute recently.
• An astonishing Twitter thread about modern China. (Every so often I like to look at this list of massive Chinese cities that I’ve never even heard of in order to remind myself that there’s more to the world than what’s going on in my shed and local wood. I know nothing about Foshan, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Dongguang or Tianjin – all of which are bigger than London…)
• The 30 Days Minimalism Game. A challenge that lots of us would benefit from.
• One Year on a Bike – a beautifully-filmed journey. (He’s got loads of lovely stuff on YouTube too.)
• Help scientists track the changing climate and seasons wherever you live. An easy introduction into paying attention and curiosity.
• Adventure, Cycling and Depression.
• Tickets Now On Sale For The 2024 UK Cycle Touring Festival.
• Funding is available for individuals, families or small teams to undertake an adventure, at a level appropriate to their experience level, which promotes self-development and wellbeing.
• Hopefully these links will answer all your questions about planning your first microadventure. There are many, many blog posts about microadventures here. And lots of films about my microadventures too. Here’s how to find a location for a microadventure. And maybe you fancy trying a Year of Microadventure challenge?

Let me know if you have a relevant project that my readers would appreciate. Here’s what you guys have been up to recently:

50 Newsletters Ago

Shouting from the Shed – 70

Hi again,

I have a long list of things I’d like to share with you today (including a newsletter from the archives at the bottom), so I’d better get started…

• A mission to change the idea that people in larger bodies can’t ride bikes.
• Grounded by the pandemic, a travel photographer spent the year pedalling the roads around his home, resulting in a series of poetic self-portraits.
• Here’s a good wild swimming challenge to get stuck into for the summer, whatever your current ability.
• Slow Ways is an initiative to create a national network of walking routes connecting all of Great Britain’s towns and cities as well as thousands of villages. Try one near you today.
• The majority of the English countryside is out of bounds for most of its population. 92% of the countryside and 97% of rivers are off limits to the public.
• In a world where our time and attention are fractured into smaller and smaller bits, legendary biologist and runner Bernd Heinrich is a throwback.
•  Archaeologists in France have uncovered a stone with 4,000-year-old etchings they believe may be the oldest three-dimensional map in Europe.
•  Discover the inner workings of a trig point. (Gosh that sounds dull. Am I the only person who found this interesting?!)
•  A really good free First Aid app. Stick it on your phone and hope you never need it in the hills.
• Sites like Random Street View appeal to my wanderlust.
• Similarly appealing, if you love listening to the local radio in cafes and taxis across the world. Here’s last month’s #1 hit in 3000 places that I’d love to visit.

Can I help you?

•  Let me know if you have a relevant project that my readers would appreciate. Here’s what you guys have been up to recently…
  • ️ Michael has a podcast about travel, everyday adventure, and doing little things to make life more interesting.
  • ️ Kathryn and her husband retired, sold their house and most of their belongings, and began to travel internationally.
  • ️ Chris has written a book, (Just As Well) It’s Not About The Bike, about a 1,300km cycle from Valencia to Gibraltar.

From the Shed Archives

Shouting From The Shed – 20

• • • The new film from my friend, Leon, is intriguing. The Samaritans are one of the most ancient tribes in the world – they’ve been around for over 3,000 years. But the population is now fragile and the tribe at risk of finally dying out… Their population consists of just four extended families, around only 800 people in total (in Roman times there used to be over a million). They have three men to every one woman. To keep the tribe going they’ve tried bringing in women from afar, including a number from Ukraine. But is it too little, too late?
    • The happiest person in Adventure has released a new book. It’s the story of cycling 11,000 miles through every state of America. And an excuse to show off her penchant for funky leggings. Again.
    • Tired of the instant, easy, digital era, Ian Ruhter makes massive images with 19th Century technology. Nose around his website – it’s stunning and informative.
    • Tim Moss cycled around the world with his wife, Laura. The trip almost never happened due to issues with his mental health. He writes openly about his struggle.
    • Curious Humans promises an occasional newsletter dose of brainfood, recent podcast interviews & mind-expanding ideas.
    • Two of my favourite things on the internet are FailArmy and Humans are Awesome. You can imagine my delight to see a mixture of the two. Simultaneously inspiring and Darwin-Awards-esque.