Local

I passed a primary school in a forgotten-looking estate of identikit tower blocks as I cycled into today’s grid square. The playground was full of joyous shrieks and laughter, and three colourful quotes were dis- played on the wall: 
• ‘Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.’ – Carl Sagan 
• ‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.’ – W.B. Yeats 
• ‘The more you read, the more things that you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.’ – Dr Seuss
These are brilliant quotes for an education built on curiosity not box-ticking, but they also summed up what fascinated me about div- ing into my map. 

What is Local ?

Do you yearn to connect with wildness and natural beauty more often?
Could your neighbourhood become a source of wonder and discovery and change the way you see the world?
Have you ever felt the call of adventure, only to realise that sometimes the most remarkable journeys unfold close to home?

After years of challenging expeditions all over the world, adventurer Alastair Humphreys spends a year exploring the small map around his own home.
Can this unassuming landscape, marked by the glow of city lights and the hum of busy roads, hold any surprises for the world traveller or satisfy his wanderlust? Could a single map provide a lifetime of exploration?
Buy the book! www.alastairhumphreys.com/local