DISPLAY: Karl Bushby signed one of the exhibition posters during his visit to Monocle
By Katy Wood
Explorer Karl Bushby has spoken about readjusting to daily life in Hull after completing his incredible 28-year journey walking around the world.
Speaking as he attended a special exhibition launched at Allenby Commercial’s landmark Monocle development in the city centre, Karl said he is “on the baseline of life” with just £50 in his pocket as he contemplates what his future looks like.
Prints of original images from Karl’s adventures are now on display at Monocle, alongside “The Beast” – Karl’s trusted trolley which has carried and protected his belongings for more than 25 years – and his camouflage tent.
His maps, some clothing, newspaper cuttings, diary entries which he sent home to his father Keith over the years, his swimming kit and pre-walk pictures are also among the items on display, backed by audio of an interview with Karl.
Karl, an ex-paratrooper, who also signed an exhibition poster during his visit, said: “The exhibition is pretty cool and a really good idea. I was taken aback at first when I saw it.”
Now 57, Karl was 28 when he set off walking from Punta Arenas in Chile, South America, on November 1, 1998, with one rule – to walk all the way home without using any form of transport.
He was given a hero’s welcome as he returned to a packed Queen Victoria Square, in Hull city centre, on November 2. It was led by civic dignitaries including the Lord Mayor of Hull and Admiral of the Humber Councillor Maria Coward, volunteers, Armed Forces representatives, standard-bearers, residents and visitors.
Karl then completed the final leg of his journey by walking to his mother Angela’s house in Sutton Park, east Hull, where he grew up and his epic adventure began almost three decades ago.
‘REALLY GOOD IDEA’: Karl Bushby’s tent and ‘The Beast’ on display as part of the exhibition at Monocle
Karl described his first night back in Hull as “an active one” and “an appropriate celebration” after reflecting on seeing Angela and his family as “definitely emotional”.
He said: “It hasn’t sunk it – it’s going to be a while. I still can’t get over that it has stopped.
“It’s day by day. I have £50 in my pocket and that is it – that is my life. I have no bank account, no phone.
“I’m literally on the baseline of life and coming in at zero, and now I have to start rebuilding.
“I have to figure out how I’m going to get a mobile phone, an address and a bank account. I can’t even get an Uber right now.
“How do I get around? I have to learn how the buses work. I’m just walking in and out of town every day. All of a sudden, there is a lot that needs to be done pretty quickly.”
Karl’s six-date tour to share the story of The Man Who Walked the World begins in Shrewsbury on November 12, ahead of his Hull City Hall evening on November 13.
He said: “Going on tour was a natural thing and something I imagined I’d do. But I need to start paying for food and other things, so you have to figure something out.
EXHIBITION: Karl’s swimming kit on display
“Receiving a personal message from the Prime Minister and walking into the city like we did – all of that was a bit beyond our imagination.
“I’m pretty good with the old imagination but that was way more than I was expecting!”
Looking ahead, Karl said the future is currently unknown but his options remain open.
He added: “Home is a slightly odd concept right now. I’m spread all over the world in many ways. There are lots of other places that feel like home as well.
“Hull is my childhood home, my mother lives here. I left home when I was 16, joining the Army, so I lived down south and came back to Hull every now and then.
“It hasn’t been home for a while but this is where I was born and raised. The future is not written yet – I’m trying to work things out right now.
“I’ve always told everybody that I’ll never live above 30 degrees latitude, so let’s see if I end up staying in the UK or not.”
The free Bushby exhibition, which is sponsored by Hull print company Jadan Press, will run in the Monocle Gallery at 184 Ferensway, Hull, HU1 3UT, until early 2027.
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY: Andrew Allenby, founder and managing director at Allenby Commercial, with director Charlie Allenby, and adventurer Karl
It is open from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays.
Charlie Allenby, director at Allenby Commercial, suggested the idea of an exhibition dedicated to Karl and his journey, and worked with the wider Allenby team and Karl’s father Keith to bring it to fruition.
He said: “Having Karl visit Monocle to view the exhibition was fantastic. He is a really nice, down-to-earth guy, and it was great to meet him in person.
“We had some great family conversations about Karl around the dinner table when I was growing up and we’ve followed his story as a family over the years.
“It’s so important that we put on an exhibition to offer a unique opportunity to showcase as much of his amazing 28-year adventure as possible.”