If you are searching for Derbyshire and Peak District Guides or maps. please visit the Derbyshire UK Bookshop at Derbyshire UK Book Shop Derbyshire Book Reviews The Hike and the art of onedownmanship by Don Shaw Published 2nd September 2004 ‘Funny, warm and elegiac - Last of the Summer Wine meets A Year in Provence.' – Sir Ranulph Fiennes Set against the backdrop of the stunning Peak District, The Hike follows the adventures of three retired friends on their weekly hike – or rather route march, given the regulation minimum 10 miles - over a calendar year. Like Cyril, Compo and Clegg in Last of the Summer Wine there is bickering and verbal sparring all the way. We have Don, award-winning screen writer and self-appointed peacekeeper of the group; Freddy, who spent forty wasted years in a glue factory and is now trying to make up for it; and ‘Gruppenführer’ Phil, a former air-traffic controller with a mission not to grow old. We encounter a rich array of characters and customs - from a river bailiff to a dry-stone waller, a scythe-brandishing farmer to the world president of the Trabant Association, the Dove Dale Dash to the ancient ritual of well-dressing. As the year goes on, the friends’ preoccupations unfold, and we see Phil’s mania for physical activity as a means of fighting time, Freddy’s cultivation of the art of ‘onedownmanship’ and Don’s desire for a peaceful life at any price. Best-known as the creator of ‘Dangerfield’ (starring Nigel le Vaillant), Don Shaw has been a full-time writer for film, stage, radio and TV since 1968. He won his first award (Best TV Drama) for ‘A Question of Honour’, with other awards including a BAFTA for the BBC 2 trilogy of plays ‘Wingate’ in 1976, A BAFTA ‘Best Drama’ award for ‘Bomber Harris’ in 1989 and winner of the International Science Film Festival gold award for ‘Faraday’s Dream’ in 1992. Incurably energetic, Don still runs marathons at the age of 70, and when not hiking, follows his other great passion – flying, in his Piper 22. Married with three children, he lives in Mickleover, Derby. • The first book by the creator of ‘DANGERFIELD’ – a keen hiker since the age of ten. • Conveys a passion for walking on every page • The Peak District, where The Hike is set, is the most visited park in the world after Japan’s Mount Fuji – 22 million visitors a year. • The first travelogue set in the Peak District since Izaak Walton’s Compleat Angler in 1653 Paperback – 234 x 156mm – 256pp - £9.99 - 0-9546878-0-9 – 2 September 2004 Click here for more information on Don Shaw More reviews

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