Mark Cundy - A Man & A Pram

Title Page

A MAN AND A PRAM

By

MARK CUNDY

Publisher Information

APEX PUBLISHING LTD

First published in 2008 by Apex Publishing Ltd

PO Box 7086, Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO15 5WN

www.apexpublishing.co.uk

Digital Edition Converted and Distributed in 2011 by

Andrews UK Limited

www.andrewsuk.com

Copyright 2008 by Mark Cundy

The author has asserted his moral rights

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition, that no part of this book is to be reproduced, in any shape or form. Or by way of trade, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser, without prior permission of the copyright holder.

Cover Design: Siobhan Smith

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my Mum & Dad, without whom so much in my life would not have been possible.

Foreword

by Chris Tarrant OBE

When a few years ago, a complete stranger called Mark wrote to me saying he was walking round the world, and would I help him with some funding, I thought yeah, right, walking round the world? Of course you are! But it was a good cause and I thought he might get as far as Belgium so I sent him a few quid, wished him bon voyage and thought no more about it. A long time later I was watching the local news in some small town in Australia and they carried a brief report about some lunatic pom pushing a baby stroller round the world. My God I thought its him!

A long time later, I was chatting on my mobile to a mate of mine who was working on a radio station somewhere in deepest Hicksville, USA, and he said Theres an English nutter on the news here, pushing a pram around the world. My God I thought its him again and hes still going!

This book is the story of one remarkable mans devotion to his private Boys Own adventure. This is not the tale of a pampered rich boys gap year; this is a working class Essex lads day by day account of the realisation of a dream.

It started in the planning stage on his dining room table in Southend and never, ever really wandered off course for the 400+ days this epic trip took. He writes candidly of the highs and lows of his amazing journey: deep depression in Poland; bitter cold and infuriating bureaucracy in Russia, the loneliness of New Years Eve somewhere in Eastern Europe in a tiny, cheap room shaking his own hand at midnight while singing Auld Lang Syne to himself; of the joy of finally getting to Australia and being able to speak in English again; of the Southern states of the USA; of the joy of arriving in New York, knowing he was almost home; of somehow persuading his 77-year-old dad to join him on the last little hop from Salisbury to Buckingham Palace.

Its an incredible story but this is not a Hollywood script, this is not Forrest Gump, this is an extraordinary tale of a young guy who didnt just talk the talk he really did walk the ultimate walk.

Acknowledgements

Id like to express my everlasting gratitude to the following individuals and organisations, without whom the walk truly could not have been completed:

Thanks for a bed for the night to:

Amy, Welling, UK

Woodstock Guest House, Sittingbourne, UK

Eric Broos, Brugge, Belgium

Rosemarjim & Matthieu, Gent, Belgium

Olivier & Linda, Antwerp, Belgium

Oostemalle Monastery, Oostemalle, Belgium

Gerrit & family, Glandorf, Germany

Harald, Berlin, Germany

Dom Nad Rzeka Hotel, Skwierzyna, Poland

Hotel Fugo, Konin

Wojiech, Warsaw, Poland

Tor & Mary, Moscow, Russia

Greg Klemm, Moscow, Russia

Fiona, Melbourne, Australia

F1 Motel, Brunswick, Austrlia

Seven Creek Hotel, Euroa, Australia

John & Val, Wagga Wagga, Australia

Shirley Hotel, Bethungra, Australia

Wendy & Lew, Cootamundra, Australia

Carrington Hotel, Harden, Australia

Helen, Rowan & Caroline, Goulburn, Australia

Terminus Hotel, Marulan, Australia

Jeremy Moss Hotel, Moss Vale, Australia

Millagong Motel, Millagong, Australia

Belgo Motel, Belgo, Australia

F1 Motel, Liverpool, Australia

Lynne & Kevin Sullivan, Sydney, Australia

Andrew Plog, Santa Monica, USA

Aira, Los Angeles, USA

Mary McFry, Fontana, USA

Jack, Palms Springs, USA

Marjorie, Quartzsite, USA

St Michael Hotel, Prescott, USA

The View Motel, Cottonwood, USA

Moestlywood Guest House, Sedona, USA

Weatherford Hotel, Flagstaff, USA

Monte Vista Hotel, Flagstaff, USA

Fred, Winona, USA

Travelodge, Winslow, USA

Travelodge, Grants, USA

Jeremy, Ken & friends, Albuquerque, USA

Holiday Inn, Tucumcari, USA

Kenneth, Amarillo, USA

Econo Lodge, Shamrock, USA

Travelodge, Elk City, USA

Days Inn, Clinton, USA

Days Inn, Claremore, USA

Super 8 Motel, Cuba, USA

Days Inn, Eureka, USA

Kristin & Tom, St Louis, USA

Super 8 Motel, Greenville, USA

Steve & Jeannie, Columbus, USA

Cliff & Erika for Buckeye Lake, USA

Wade & Janet for Cambridge, USA

Inn on the Georgian, Somerset, USA

Paula & Al, West Chester, USA

Bill & Linda for Newtown Square, USA

Clare & Farrell, Philadelphia, USA

Amy & Bill, Princeton, USA

TJ for New Brunswick, USA

Redruth Guest House, Redruth, UK

Nebula Hotel, Liskeard, UK

Kathys Guest House, Yeovil, UK

Thanks for various acts of kindness to:

Chris Tarrant

Lord (Jeffrey) Archer

Go Travel Insurance, Basildon, UK

Harvey Rose & Sons Opticians, Westcliff, UK

Hoageyweb, Southend, UK

Gaye Boyman

David Billany

Paul & Lisa Schofield

Ian & Cheryl Reynolds

Hoverspeed Ferries, UK

Frau Beckmann, Vinzelburg, Germany

Maria & Pawel, Elk, Poland

Anya, Vladivostok, Russia

Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce

Quartzsite Veteran of Foreign Wars Association

Tiny & Cecil, Quartzsite, USA

Roger, Prescott

Prescott Chamber of Commerce

Roger & Carol, Sedona, USA

Tina, Flagstaff

PJ, Arkansas (for help in New Mexico)

Tucumcari Chamber of Commerce

Hayes (for help at Glenrio, Texas)

Lelita, Mid-Point Caf, Adrian, USA

Vega Chamber of Commerce, USA

Elk City Chamber of Commerce, USA

Clinton Chamber of Commerce, USA

Chandler Chamber of Commerce, USA

Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce, USA

Ocology Centre, Maryville, USA

Greenville Chamber of Commerce, USA

Else, Columbus, USA

Mayor Ryan, Brownsville, USA

Somerset Chamber of Commerce, USA

St Stephens Catholic Church, McConnellsville, USA

AACR, Philadelphia, USA

Ruth & Ron, Brunswick, USA

Graham & Carol-Ann Payne, Watford, UK

Special thanks to:

Mum & Dad

Margaret

Tom King, Echo Newspapers, UK

Radoslaw & family, Swalzedz, Poland

Hotel Rondo, Kutno, Poland

Natasha, Ludza, Latvia

Highway Patrol Officers/State Troopers of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma & Missouri

Milly & Earl, Salome, USA

Deb & Rachel Misra, Gallup, USA

Tommy, Amarillo, USA

Nancy & Jon for Oklahoma City, USA

Newcastle Medical Centre, nr Newcastle, USA

Mary & Jimmy, Tulsa, USA

Becky & Dick for Zanesville, USA

Pat Spirano, Brooklyn, USA

Breaking Out

I steered the car out of the business park and headed along the familiar route back home after another long day at the office. The 14th of June 2004 was a bright, sunny day and I drove with my jacket off, window slightly open to admit a breeze and let the rest of Watford share my musical tastes from the stereo.