Thought you were well-travelled? Well, you might be beaten by a vacuum.
Meet Henry, the Hoover who has completed all 214 of the highest peaks in the UK.
Henry has been exploring the nation since 2018 with his proud owner, Andrew, who takes him on every adventure.
“It was when we were working in a holiday house in Cornwall that some visitors suggested I take a trip out with them to see the town’s top tourist attraction… the magnificent Bude Tunnel,” ‘Henry’ told NeedToKnow.online.
“It was great to be out, and I persuaded my new friends to take me up onto the cliff tops so I could see the sea.
“Well, that was it for me, I suddenly had a taste for travel and adventure.”
There was no going back for the plucky vacuum, and he has been travelling the UK ever since, visiting some of the most stunning locations across the nation.
He said: “I’ve seen lochs, lakes, meres, waterfalls and the sea, travelled to England, Scotland and Wales, been up mountains and down valleys, but somehow, I feel I have only scratched the surface.
“Many places I’ve been to, require a bit of a hike, but others can be fully appreciated without much exertion.
“I went round the ‘Radical Horizons’ sculptures at Chatsworth House a few weeks ago, which was well worth a visit.”
The hoover has also picked up a bit of a taste for sculptures with a visit to The Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
He added: “I’ve also seen ‘The DunBear’, the ‘Angel of the North’, the ‘Knife Angel’, and the amazing ‘Kelpies’ in Falkirk!”
Having spent most of his life in a cupboard, ‘Henry’ is amazed by the places he has been able to go and has made it to some unexpected locations.
He said: “Sometimes when I’ve come across somewhere I’ve never heard of, is where I get the most pleasure.
“Especially the Broomhill Estate in Devon – it had an incredible range of sculptures dotted around their grounds.
“And my most memorable morning was taking in a sunrise on the top of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), though that was very recently rivalled with an incredible cloud inversion in the Peak District which really took my suction away!”
He has also spent a fair bit of time in the Ethels, a list of 95 hills in and around the Peak District, which are all 400m above sea level.
‘Henry’ added: “It’s good to have a project going on like the Ethels, it helps keep the motivation to get out there.”
As well as exploring with his owner Andrew, he also takes a Border Collie friend with him.
He added: “She likes to get in on my photos, but doesn’t really like sitting on the Trig Points, so leaves that for me to do.
“I do have to be careful though as, on a windy day, I can get blown off them!”
He has also started the Wainwrights and has ticked off a few county tops, as well as taking a look at a few Munros whilst touring Scotland.
He said: “I think they may be a bit much for a little old vacuum cleaner, but never say never.”
It’s not been all outdoors for Henry either, as he’s also made it to Durham Cathedral and The Eden Project.
He added: “Recently, I even went to my very first concert at the rescue rooms in Nottingham to see Soccer Mommy!”
Henry is aiming to explore the UK even more while trying to make the world a better place along the way.
He said: “This country has some fantastic places and so much of it is free for us all to enjoy.
“It is very precious though and I’ve met some top people who like to help keep it that way.
“These people are out there organising litter picks or grabbing bags full of rubbish that has been carelessly left behind and this is fantastic stuff.
“But I think we should not just sit back and let other people do all the cleaning up.”
Weighing around 7.5kg, Henry is one of the UK’s favourites and is recording the rest of his adventures with Andrew, who shares their photos on Instagram (@henryhooverontour) with their 108,000 followers.
In a recent post, they shared a snap of Henry looking at the sunset from an Alphin Pike, gaining over 4,900 likes.
One person commented: “Henry living the dream”
While another said: “Beautiful view and sunset Henry worth it after your tough little hike.”
Someone else added: “Wow what a beautiful sunset”
“Lion king vibe,” commented one fan.
“I am in awe of you Henry, the way you achieve such great heights on those little wheels your such an inspiration,” said another.
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