We are delighted to welcome back David Taylor-Smith, who last spoke to the Society about
his long walk from Land’s End to John O’ Groats. Since then, he has gone on to walk the
length of the UK from the Scilly Isles to the top of Shetland and across Northern Ireland,
joined by his wife Jacs. They are now on a journey to visit the islands around the UK – so far,
they have visited 50 islands and he has surpassed the 3,000km mark.
David was motivated to continue his British Isles walking to better understand what it means
to be British today. After Covid, Brexit, the Scottish Independence referendum and the passing
of the late Queen, he wanted to discover the origins of British identity, what it means to be
British today and what shapes our collective identity. In a beautifully illustrated talk, his
account of the journey will reveal the impact of our nation’s history, geology, weather,
language and people in shaping who we are as a nation today.
David has already delivered this talk to sell out audiences at the Chelsea History Festival and at the Royal Geographical Society in Hong Kong.