2017 and Beyond
2017 Films & Expeditions
I first began making films at the age of 13, documenting my local wildlife and exploring the seasons through visual imagery. This quickly evolved into talking about various threats to the environment I was quickly falling in love with, and soon my career was rolling as I found myself speaking in front of the European Parliament and shaking hands with Sir David Attenborough as he awarded my work on raising awareness about marine debris. I was just 15 years old.
Soon my attentions turned to backpacking and sharing the world through hiking. I loved the immersive nature of being on foot and found that through multi-day adventures I was learning more about myself; working through various personal obstacles like chronic mental illness and challenging myself in new ways that saw me thrive.
By the time I finished my A-Levels I was climbing Kilimanjaro to shoot a film with world-renowned conservationists about climate change, then a few years later stood atop Toubkal in Morocco documenting the power of time spent in nature for personal growth. From here the rest is history, as they say!
In this film 'Journey into the heart of the Atlas Mountains' I share my story as I set out to climb northern Africa's highest mountain, Jebel Toubkal (4167m) in winter conditions. My hope in documenting my travels and the difficulties I faced along the way is that I can inspire you to take up the pursuit of becoming the best version of yourself and be determined to find out what happens if you don't give up on your dreams.
I love exploring Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks. I often find they get overlooked for more 'exciting' and dramatic places, so through this series I aim to showcase the hidden treasures of these most southern and westerly of national parks in the UK.
I set out to hike the Ridgeway National Trail, 87 miles from Overton Hill in Wiltshire, across Berkshire and Oxfordshire, before concluding high up on the exposed point of Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. Across 5 days, I visited world renowned archaeological sites, met passionate individuals, and witnessed stunning far-reaching views. I began the trail expecting a long, exposed trudge along a grassy ridge, but came away inspired, and incredibly grateful that this 5000 year old track is still accessible and valued by those who use it.
The South Downs Way National Trail stretches for 100 miles from the historic cathedral city of Winchester, across Sussex, and then ends high up on the undulating chalk cliffs above Eastbourne.
It encapsulates breathtaking views and petite villages, ancient woodlands and majestic chalk rivers, undulating cliffs and busy coastal towns; the area is seeped in visible history, rich in wildlife, and full of character.
The Yorkshire Wolds Way runs for 79 miles from Hessle on the shores of the Humber Estuary to Filey Brigg, just south of Scarborough. I set out to explore the hidden gems of the route such as the iconic Humber Bridge, Wharram Percy - Medieval Deserted Village (the best preserved Medieval village in England), and historic churches that saw the coming of the Christianity to Britain. Along the way I battled freezing snow and chilly nights, torrential rain and slippery slopes, but most importantly, I created memories to last a lifetime.
Whilst I have deliberately avoided sharing films that I was commissioned to make on these pages, but I will make an exception for this short film 'Love The Jurassic Coast'. It was commissioned by the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Trust and I was asked to explore what this stretch of coastline means to me as someone who grew up in the area.
In 2015 I set out with my mum to walk one of the most popular long distance trails in England - The Cumbria Way.
The walk offered boggy paths, neck-high bracken, vast mountains views, blissful lakeside paths, and quaint little villages. It was an experience to remember and one captured forever in this film.
The Isle of Wight coastal path was the first multi-day hike that I tackled solo. I set out into blustery spring weather onto a muddy and rather neglected trail with the sole mission of making my way around the island.
It challenged me in more ways than one, and unfortunately I called off the final day due to torrential rain and gale-force winds. And yet this trip more than any other would kick-start my desire for solo travel and adventure.
Two weeks after the completion of my A-Levels, I headed out to Tanzania to climb The Roof Of Africa as part of a team of world-renowned wildlife conservationist. We were Climbing for Climate Action, and shot a film discussing how climate change has been impacting the mountains glaciers, endemic wildlife, and local people. I was the sole filmmaker and producer on this shoot and it was my first big international expedition.
This was the first full-length film I produced as a young person. It followed my journey along the Hadrian's Wall National Trail path which I walked in July 2014 with my mum. Through this film I sought to highlighting the key archaeological and geographical features, and whilst to begin with we were rather sceptical about the whole thing, worked hard to debunk the myths about this incredible National Trail.
Aged 16, I shot a short film to discuss the issues surrounding marine debris. 'Save Our Oceans, Recycle Your Plastic' is an award winning film, coming first place in the 2013 EcoTales Film Festival presented by Sir David Attenborough, and later being shortlisted for the Innsbruck Film Festival.
Wainwrights Coast To Coast, 2013
The Coast to Coast was the second long distance walk I tackled as a young person, walking in aid of the Born Free Foundation to support the conservation of wildlife and habitats across their work.
This 190 mile walk crosses the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and North York Moors National Parks, and showcases some of the most beautiful and wild walking in England.
West Highland Way, 2012
The West Highland Way was the first long distance walk I ever hiked. Aged 16 I set out with my mum to walk the 96 miles and stay in B&B's along the way. Little did I know how quickly I would fall in love with this kind of modern pilgrimage and soon turn it into a career of a lifetime!
I hiked the walk to raise money for the Born Free Foundation and War Child.
This was the first film I ever produced for the public to watch. I was aged 15 and passionate about finding new ways to communicate different environmental issues and what we as individuals could do to mitigate our impact. Here I talked to camera about Palm Oil, its use in our day to day life, and what this has meant for endemic wildlife, indigenous people, and landscapes across Western Africa to Borneo and Indonesia. This film won me a place to speak join the EU parliament about the issue in front of MEPs, and later EU law was changed to mean the ingredient must be labelled where it is used to allow for consumer discretion regarding their purchases.