Product Description

"Travels With Boogie" is the story of two city slickers - one an unattractive but streetwise mongrel from Stockwell, the other the long-suffering author - and how they came to terms with England's countryside and waterways. First they had to survive against all odds as they embarked on a heroic journey up hill and down dale, with rucksacks full of Kennomeat, along Britain's longest coastal footpath - from Somerset to Devon, from Cornwall to Dorset. And they did it. Then, undaunted, they took on the treacherous waters of the Thames. Not exactly as Mark had planned, however: this time his companion was to be the delectable Jennifer - but she was held up at the office, and when Boogie was dropped off at the kennels the other dogs complained. "Travels With Boogie" is a witty and fascinating account of a mismatched couple and of the people they meet and places they visit.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20344 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

From the Publisher
Classic humour in the English countryside - 500 Mile Walkies and Boogie Up the River now in one volume.

From the Back Cover
Classic humour in the English countryside.

Travels with Boogie is the story of two city slickers – one an unattractive but streetwise mongrel from Stockwell, the other the long-suffering author – and how they came to terms with England’s countryside and waterways.

First they had to survive against all odds as they embarked on a heroic journey up hill and down dale, with rucksacks full of Kennomeat, along Britain’s longest coastal footpath – from Somerset to Devon, from Cornwall to Dorset. And they did it. Then, undaunted, they took on the treacherous waters of the Thames. Not exactly as Mark had planned, however: this time his companion was to be the delectable Jennifer – but she was held up at the office, and when Boogie was dropped off at the kennels the other dogs complained.

Travels with Boogie is a witty and fascinating account of a mismatched couple and of the people they meet and places they visit.

‘The humorous travel book we’ve been waiting for’ Daily Mail

About the Author
Mark Wallington was born in Swanage in Dorset in 1953. He worked for a while as a gardener in London before becoming a scriptwriter and a journalist. In 1982 he walked the South West Coastal Path and his subsequent book, 500 Mile Walkies, became a bestseller. In 1992 Mark Wallington published his novel The Missing Postman and then wrote the script for the award-winning television play starring James Bolam. He is much sought-after as a film and television writer, working from his home in the High Peak in Derbyshire, where he keeps a truly wonderful garden. He is married with two children.

Customer Reviews

Two hilarious books in one.
To get both these extremely funny books in one volume is amazingly good value. The first book '500 Mile Walkies, describes Mark Wallington's journey round the south West coastal path, accompanied by his disgusting dog Boogie. His heroic struggles with the weather, camping, food etc are stirringly described (particularly his attempt to go back to nature and cook himself a nourishing meal of limpets and nettles),and there are laughs on every page. The second book 'Boogie up the River' in which he travels to the source of the Thames in a rowing boat, again accompanied by disgusting dog, is even funnier. In this book he is not only battling with the elements, wildlife etc, but trying to woo the elusive Jennifer, a high-powered city executive with a yearning for poetry and the simple life. The tension mounts as the book progresses and you wonder if Jennifer is ever going to make it to any of their rendezvous, or is Wallington always going to be met with a biker bearing takeaway food?(I don't care how thwarted in love he was, it was a wicked waste to throw away that yummy Indonesian meal). Naturally, when Jennifer finally does turn up Boogie is on hand to act as gooseberry. Both of these books are very, very funny.

Step One: Borrow a dog
Back in the days of the Falklands War Mark Wallington apparently borrowed an assortment of hiking gear and a dog and set off, much to the indifference of pretty much everyone, to walk around the southwest coast of Britain. The fact that this is hardly uncharted territory only helps to make "500 Mile Walkies" (the first part of this compilation) utterly delightful. Two creatures, entirely unsuited to the wild, are thrown together in an outdoor experience, and every page is a gem. Well, almost, as things do fade a bit in the closing quarter, but Wallington realises this and pulls it all together at the end. Boogie is a splendid comic creation, although I have serious doubts as to how much the dog in the book resembled the real animal. Indeed, it's the contrived nature of many of the jokes and situations which causes the only real problems with these books, and sadly the second part, "Boogie Up The River," suffers especially badly. Is this travel writing or a comedy sketch? Wallington seems unsure at times, making "River" a considerably weaker book than "Walkies." Running gags do have their limits. Despite this, and partly because the compilation is worth the price for "Walkies" alone, I can happily slap five stars on this book and urge you to buy it. Charming, witty, absurd and rather endearing, it overcomes its limitations and provides enough amusement to make you forgive it pretty much anything. In an age of over-engineered clothing and tents more suitable for Everest than Minehead "Travels With Boogie" will leave you eager to scrounge together a few basics and get out there, enjoying the experience rather than revelling in the gear.

Believe me, it's true
As one of the unfortunates who lived with the mongrel in question in his early days in Stockwell when he first began to acquire the street cred. so useful in later years I can guarantee the reader the enjoyment these tales so faithfully impart. Mark writes with a refreshing honesty and simplicity of his travels and uses Boogey as the perfect reflection of his own carefree outlook on life in general. It doesn't hurt that the dog in question started out in life with an uncanny ability to go beyond the bounds of the normal dog / human relationship and clearly this ability has grown with the years.

Nothing stunningly new, nothing stunningly profound but simply a good tale told well. You won't regret the purchase or the time taken to enjoy it.