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‘ Moderate Becoming Good Later : Sea Kayaking , the Shipping Forecast ’ by Katie and Toby Carr , will be published on June 8th .
Before sea kayaking Toby was a white water enthusiast .
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infectious ; everyone he spoke to was supportive . 2018 was going to be an exciting year . On New Year ’ s Day 2018 , the swift action of an ambulance crew at Leigh Delamere Services on the M4 probably saved his life . They started treatment for Meningitis en route to the nearest hospital . He cancelled his interview for his Fellowship from his hospital bed in Swindon .
Avoiding a downward spiral into how illness had limited his opportunities , he was offered another interview date . Toby hadn ’ t fully recovered from his non-contagious pneumococcal strain of bacterial meningitis when he attended the interview , but he must have impressed the panel as in February 2018 , he received the news that he was successful , celebrating with a bottle of Polroger , Churchill ’ s favourite champagne .
AMAZING DISTANCES
Toby started his journey in southeast Iceland before the long journey south via the Faroe Islands , the only land in the Faroes Shipping Forecast area . We were fascinated by his progress along the coastline of northwest Europe , amazed by the distances he could cover and the resilience he was showing .
We caught up with Toby in the autumn of 2018 , listening to stories of the journey ’ s past and future plans . In May 2019 , he was the main speaker at the Jersey Sea Kayaking Symposium , from where he headed out on the next part of his journey with his good friend Michal . A summer of Breton tide races plus the north and west coasts of the Iberian Peninsula . This project was approaching completion when world events and personal health issues intervened .
Sadly , Toby died on the 10th of January 2022 ; his last time in a sea kayak had been less than two weeks earlier , in Flushing , the village which had become home .
Toby was many things , a loyal friend , an architect , a long-distance cyclist , an accomplished sea kayaker , a university lecturer , a brother , a nephew , an uncle , a son and a cousin , amongst other things . Most of all , though , he was just a thoroughly nice person who set out on a unique journey which most of us wouldn ’ t have the vision to see or the courage to do .
KATIE CARR
Toby ’ s sister Katie has embarked on a journey of her own , learning to sea kayak so that she can complete his journey through the shipping forecast areas . Perhaps more importantly , she has undertaken the difficult task of converting Toby ’ s written and voice notes , photos and videos into a book , which is more than just a record of a sea kayak journey . It is the celebration of a life well lived , despite the challenges that Toby faced throughout his all short life . And perhaps there lies the lesson for all of us , Toby didn ’ t sit at home and dwell on the difficulties that he knew he would face in the coming years , and neither should we .
Follow Toby ’ s example get out paddling , enjoy yourself and on returning to land , raise a glass to his memory .
‘ Moderate Becoming Good Later : Sea Kayaking , the Shipping Forecast ’ by Katie and Toby Carr , will be published on June 8th .
Before sea kayaking Toby was a white water enthusiast .