Harold and the Roadside Companions

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

The emotional bonds Harold forms with the people and animals who join him for a night, a week, or a season of the walk.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Woman With Food The Woman With Food from "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". The Woman With Food A Glass Of Water Harold knocks on a stranger's door, nearly unable to speak.

The Woman With Food from "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". The Woman With Food A Glass Of Water Harold knocks on a stranger's door, nearly unable to speak.

The Woman With Food A Glass Of Water Harold knocks on a stranger's door, nearly unable to speak. A woman brings iced water, then chairs, then bread and butter with slices of apple. The Quiet Conversation She talks about how eating, talking and loving can be difficult. She notices the absence of young life in her garden, and Harold tells her about David. The Gift Of Rest He wakes from a brief sleep, eats greedily, and returns to the road before she can see him crying. Her kindness is the first of many that teach him how to receive.

Martina's Gift Martina's Gift from "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". Martina's Gift The Doctor Who Listened Martina treats Harold's feet, feeds him, and asks about his son.

Martina's Gift from "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". Martina's Gift The Doctor Who Listened Martina treats Harold's feet, feeds him, and asks about his son.

Martina's Gift The Doctor Who Listened Martina treats Harold's feet, feeds him, and asks about his son. She is the first person in years to ask about David without flinching. The Shared Confessions She tells him about the partner who left, and he tells her about the aunts, his mother, and the dog that bit him. The house becomes a place of safety. The Compass In The Palm She gives him her partner's rucksack, socks, duct tape and compass. The bond between them is strong because it is built on mutual witnessing.

Wilf Needing A Father Wilf Needing A Father from "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". Wilf Needing A Father The Boy Who Followed Wilf joins the walk and reminds Harold of David.

Wilf Needing A Father from "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". Wilf Needing A Father The Boy Who Followed Wilf joins the walk and reminds Harold of David.

Wilf Needing A Father The Boy Who Followed Wilf joins the walk and reminds Harold of David. Every time the boy turns to shout about something new, Harold's heart flips over. The Attempted Fathering Harold shows Wilf how to eat wild plants, comfort his nightmares, and wash his feet. He is doing for this stranger what he could not do for his son. The Loss Of The Boy When Wilf steals and leaves, Harold feels the failure again. But the bond was real while it lasted: for a few weeks, Harold had a son to care for.

Kate's Goodbye Kate's Goodbye from "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". Kate's Goodbye The Bride In Black Kate joins the walk carrying her grief, and her blunt kindness steadies Harold during the troubles with Rich and Wilf.

Kate's Goodbye from "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". Kate's Goodbye The Bride In Black Kate joins the walk carrying her grief, and her blunt kindness steadies Harold during the troubles with Rich and Wilf.

Kate's Goodbye The Bride In Black Kate joins the walk carrying her grief, and her blunt kindness steadies Harold during the troubles with Rich and Wilf. She sits with him by the stream and asks about David. The Hug That Was Not Received She embraces him and tells him to take care, then walks away into the trees. Harold wants to run after her because among all the pilgrims, it is Kate he has grown to love. The Wrench Of Letting Go He stays in one place and watches her go, throwing a large wave. Her departure is a little piece of dying, but he lets her choose her own path.

Dog's Departure Dog's Departure from "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". Dog's Departure The Stone-Bringing Companion Harold and Dog walk as one silent pair, the animal fetching stones and sleeping inside his sleeping bag.

Dog's Departure from "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". Dog's Departure The Stone-Bringing Companion Harold and Dog walk as one silent pair, the animal fetching stones and sleeping inside his sleeping bag.

Dog's Departure The Stone-Bringing Companion Harold and Dog walk as one silent pair, the animal fetching stones and sleeping inside his sleeping bag. Dog asks nothing and forgives everything. The Bus Shelter The dog chooses a schoolgirl in a bus shelter and boards the bus with her, not looking back. Harold tells himself life is like that. The Last Companion Gone In losing Dog, Harold feels another layer of skin ripped from him. But the bond remains in the remembered rhythm of the walk: the tapping of the stone at his feet, the warmth of the ribs against his back.

Early days near Dartmoor

Day fifteen, in Taunton

North of Barnsley, June

After the split, near Newcastle

Near Cambo, before Wooler