Paul Heiney with HF Holidays volunteer walk leaders Peter Saps and Paul Cheshire. Photo: Stewart Smith
A television presenter pulled on his boots to try his skills as volunteer walk leader on one of the Lake District’s most popular fells.
ITV’s Paul Heiney was filmed yesterday with two HF Holidays leaders making the ascent of Cat Bells, overlooking Derwent Water.
A plaque on the fell commemorates walking holiday pioneer TA Leonard, who founded the co-operative which encouraged healthy hiking breaks. This year is the 150th anniversary of the former Congregational minster, dubbed ‘the Billy Butlin of outdoor holidays.
Mr Heiney was filming for a Countrywise episode that will be broadcast later this year.
Series producer Ruth Gray said: “Paul Heiney and ITV’s Countrywise team visited the Lake District this summer to find out about the origins of our country’s love affair with rambling.
“Paul discovered the roots of walking in the Lakes and learnt about TA Leonard, one of the original Friends of the Lake District. Leonard was a man who dedicated his life to the great outdoors and encouraging the working classes to enjoy it, something which is still as relevant today as it was over 100 years ago.”
TA Leonard, photographed in 1895
Thomas Arthur Leonard, who became a Quaker, was instrumental in the founding of the Holiday Fellowship and had a hand in starting organisations such as the Co-operative Holidays Association, Ramblers, Youth Hostels Association and the National Trust.
Paul Heiney joined volunteer walk leaders Peter Saps and Paul Cheshire on Cat Bells, where they viewed the plaque marking the outdoors pioneer.
Steve Backhouse, HF Holidays’ head of holidays based at its Penrith office, said: “HF Holidays, the co-operative society TA Leonard established over a centenary ago, is one of his legacies.
“Leonard ranks alongside Thomas Cook and Billy Butlin as one of the pioneers of British holidaymaking, but has never had the same level of recognition. It’s fantastic to be able to shine the spotlight on him on the 150th anniversary of his birth.
“We were delighted to host Paul and the ITV crew and be able to share the story of our founder with all their viewers. We have more than 700 volunteer walk leaders and we’re always looking to recruit new ones.”
The new ITV1 series is due to begin in October.
