An epic 28-year journey has come to an end in Hull today
Karl Bushby reunited with his mum Angela(Image: Donna Clifford for Hull Live)
It was a fitting conclusion to a 28-year journey that ended with Karl Bushby hugging his mother at her garden gate.
There will be many iconic images from Bushby’s return: crossing the Humber Bridge, waving to an onlooking crowd at Queen Victoria Square, and, possibly the most poignant, his mother Angela waiting patiently in her front garden as the nation’s media looked on.
Her son had set out on his mission to return home from Chile on foot, in a time before smartphones, when the most recent global pandemic was in the late 1910s, and when the twin towers of the World Trade Center were still standing.
“I guess I’ll be seeing you around,” Karl said to the people of Hull who gathered in Victoria Square to welcome their pioneering hero back home.
“After 28 years I could never have imagined this. They say it takes a village, but it took the whole world to get me here.”
Lord Mayor of Kingston-upon-Hull Maria Coward congratulated Karl in front of onlookers and East Hull MP Karl Turner read out a personal message from Prime Minister Andy Burnham: “Today as you return to this city from which you left 28 years ago you bring with you something far greater than any world record. You bring a story of what can be accomplished through sheer determination. Hull has every reason to be proud of you. Karl, welcome home and thank you.”
Karl undertook the final leg of his journey from Hull city centre to Newtondale, Sutton Park, on a bright, crisp autumn Monday that was far removed from the mist and fog that greeted him as he crossed into Yorkshire from Lincolnshire on Sunday.
He was received to claps and cheers outside City Hall at around 11am, before picking up his belongings – in his trusty two-wheeled kart, nicknamed “beast” – and heading for home.
When asked about his most prized possession that he carried with him on his voyage, Karl replied that the beast itself was the most important thing he had by his side.
And there was no stopping him as he kept up the pace for his final few miles, pausing occasionally to take selfies with well wishers but powering on towards home northward through New Cleveland Street and Stoneferry Road.
He later told reporters his memories of Hull were hazy at best. “Hull has been a mystical place hidden behind so many obstacles,” he said. “The whole concept of what home is after 28 years is a little blurry.”
Among those accompanying him for the final leg of his journey were fans from across the world. Karl had crossed the Bering Strait with Dimitri Kieffer and the pair hadn’t seen one another for 18 years.
Other fans congregated to join the explorer, with many saying they were inspired by his journey to take on challenges of their own.
Kieffer recounted how the pair had been detained in Russia after crossing the straight, because they had visas but were unaware they needed permission to enter specific parts of the country. And there were plenty more scrapes along the way.
Before meeting his family, Karl paused at the end of the street to sign autographs and take photos. When asked about the most valuable lesson he has learned so far, Karl replied: “Have a little more confidence in yourself. We are generally more capable of doing things than we would ever believe. A little bit of confidence goes a long way. And smile a lot – it will get you out of trouble.”
The burning question on everyone’s lips: What’s next for Karl? He told the gathering crowd that he would be “sticking around for a while”.
Addressing the press after meeting his family – which included his son and his 12-year-old granddaughter who he recently met for the first time – Karl took time to get into the specifics of some of his escapades.
He told of the first Alaskan winter where he “learned a lot” and lost 40lbs in weight. “Alaska was a set of really hard lessons,” he said. “By the time we got into Siberia we had learned a lot.”
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He also told of the kindness of strangers across the world. He recalled walking down remote roadsides in South America with truck drivers throwing oranges and bottles of water out of the windows to keep him going. He also remembered the people who had tended to him when he was unwell, or given him a plate of rice and beans when it was all they could offer.
When asked if he thought he might never make it home, he cited the final few weeks crossing the English Channel as one of the toughest times. “I thought I’d be there for another year,” he said.
He listed visa bans, Covid-19 and various financial crises as reasons that his anticipated 12-year trip ending up taking 28, and that a journey of that length at the outset seemed “absolutely ludicrous”.
After being reunited with his family, Karl said his relationship with his son is “so close” and he has “no regrets” about taking on the almost-three-decade-long mission.
“Everyone understood what was going on. They’ve always been behind me 100%. We are in a better state than most families.
“The more progress you make, the more determined you become. Ever since day one I let everyone know I wasn’t coming home until I arrived on foot. Eventually they took me seriously!”
He added that seeing his mother was an “emotional moment”. “I think it went pretty well,” he said. “It was a long time in the making. She has changed a lot, it was almost shocking to see my mother after so long. It was an awesome experience.”
The now 57-year-old says he does not know what comes next, but he is hanging up his boots due to some “aches and pains” that have been niggling for a while. With a documentary about his mission in the works, a theatre tour and a book to write, the former paratrooper will certainly be kept busy over the coming months.
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