A Macclesfield man's new book will benefit a national charity.

Where Skylarks Sing: An inspiring story of endurance and the healing power of walking is out now digitally and on paperback.

Some of the profits will be donated to Alzheimer's Research UK.

Former Foreign Office Worker Patrick Davies is behind the new book.

Reaching a major crossroads in 2021, Patrick Davies did the only thing he could think of – he set off alone with a pair of walking boots and a tent to walk the length of Britain in the hope of finding escape and answers.

To many, Patrick appeared to have it all – a loving family, an enviable career that took him around the world, a rewarding future clearly mapped out. Then everything abruptly changed.

He found himself returning to Britain without a job or a home to discover a family reeling from his father's dementia diagnosis and a country tearing itself apart after Brexit.

In sharing his 1400-mile journey from the southernmost point of England to the northern tip of Scotland, Patrick explores issues of identity and belonging, anticipatory grief and the meaning of home against the backdrop of a world turned upside down.

The front cover of the new release.

"I have lived in Bollinbrook since the start of COVID in March 2020, when I moved back to help care for my dad," he said.

"Where Skylarks Sing is much more than a travel diary/journal. In essence, I'd reached a major crossroads in life - a combination of (rashly?) giving up my 25-year diplomatic career, my dad deteriorating with Alzheimer's Disease and the UK feeling increasingly alien.

"The book explores issues of identity and belonging, anticipatory grief and the meaning of home in a world turned upside down. I hope it's an inspiring story of endurance and the healing power of walking, all told through the beautiful landscapes of Britain.

"If they liked The Salt Path (Raynor Winn) or Finding Hildasay (Christian Lewis), I think they will enjoy Where Skylarks Sing.

Click the red link at the bottom of the article to buy the book.

"It's much more than a walk book, and grapples with issues so many of us face - a rapidly changing world, family with Alzheimer's/dementia, unplanned change etcetera.

"People can order the book from any bookshop (or get it online). It's available as a paperback (£9.99) and as an ebook (£4.99 - from all major e-book suppliers - Apple, Amazon, Kobo etc)."

Patrick is an author and charity fundraiser. He was a British diplomat for a quarter-century years, serving in Morocco, Poland and Iran before wrapping up his career as the UK's Deputy Ambassador to the USA.

The Covid-19 pandemic saw Patrick returning to the north of England to help care for his dad who has Alzheimer's Disease. When setting out to walk across the UK in 2021, he decided to use the journey to raise much needed money for research into the condition.

(Image - Alzheimer's Research UK)

Since then, he has continued his nomadic lifestyle, walking 800 miles from Biarritz to Barcelona across the Pyrenees in 2022, and 720 miles along France's eastern border, crossing the Vosges, Jura and the Alps in 2023.

So far, he has raised £45,000 for Alzheimer's Research UK.

His new book should hope to raise even more.

Macclesfield residents can buy the book by clicking on this link.

The Kindle version of the book costs less than a fiver.