Tony Hawks

Comedian and born and bred townie, Tony Hawks is not afraid of a challenge - or indeed a good bet. He's hitchhiked round Ireland with a fridge and taken on the Moldovan football team at tennis, one by one. Now the time has come for his greatest gamble yet - turning his back on comfortable city life to move to the wilds of the West Country.

With his partner Fran in tow and their first child on the way, he embraces the rituals of village life with often absurd and hilarious results, introducing us to an ensemble of eclectic characters along the way. One minute he's taking part in a calamitous tractor run, the next he's chairing a village meeting, but of course he still finds time for one last solo adventure before fatherhood arrives - cycling coast to coast with a mini pig called Titch.

In the epic battle of man vs countryside, who will win out?

Many moons ago, a foolhardy attempt to win a drunken bet resulted in Tony Hawks embarking on one of the most unforgettable experiences of his life. Joined by his trusty travelling companion-cum-domestic appliance - i.e. his fridge - he found himself in the midst of a remarkable, inspirational and, at times, downright silly adventure. His journey was chronicled in a book that would go on to be an international bestseller - Round Ireland with a Fridge.

In The Fridge-Hiker's Guide to Life, Tony looks back on what he learnt on his quixotic quest. Namely: if all you have between birth and death is a journey, and if the journey is all we have, then wouldn't it be best to make it fun? Such is the Philosophy of the Fridge. Reflecting on the many encounters he had along the way - occasionally fraught, frequently hilarious and sometimes poignant - and the colourful cast of characters he met, Tony realises that following mantras as simple as 'Do something silly' or 'Find the courage to follow your intuition' can make a huge difference in making life that little bit more enjoyable.

Witty, charming and uplifting, The Fridge-Hiker's Guide will make you look at both life and your kitchen appliances in a whole new way...

'If you had to pick two things you wanted - if you had to - what would you pick?'

I hesitated. This was a bigger question than usually got asked at these post-match debriefs. 'I suppose the honest answer would be,' I said, still accessing the last pieces of required data from a jumbled mind, 'meeting my soul mate, and finding an idyllic house abroad somewhere.'

Inspired by breathtaking views and romantic dreams of finding love in the mountains, Tony Hawks impulsively buys a house in the French Pyrenees. Here, he plans to finally fulfil his childhood fantasy of mastering the piano, untroubled by the problems of the world.

In reality, the chaotic story of Tony's hopelessly ill-conceived house purchase reads like the definitive guide to how not to buy a house in France. It finds him flirting with the removal business in a disastrous attempt to transport his piano to France in a dodgy white van; foolishly electing to build a swimming pool himself; and expanding his relationship repertoire when he starts co-habiting, not with an exquisite French beauty, but with a middle-aged builder from West London.

As Tony and his friends haplessly attempt to fit into village life, they learn more about themselves and each other than they ever imagined.

Rewind to 1988. Britain is in the grip of a phenomenon. Radios across the land blast out a new sound. The song is 'Stutter Rap'. The group - Morris Minor and the Majors. The man behind it - Tony Hawks. Fast forward to the 21st century and Tony has left those heady music biz days behind. That cherished appearance on Top Of The Pops is but a distant memory. These days music is just a hobby. That is until it is suggested that Tony is a One Hit Wonder. That he will never have a hit again. Ever. Really?
Well we'll see about that-Over the next two years Tony battles against all the odds to have a hit, somewhere - anywhere - in the world. He changes act and styles with a bewildering lack of integrity. He travels to Nashville, the song-writing capital of the universe; to Amsterdam for that elusive novelty Euro anthem and even to Africa in search of the perfect melody. In his quest for pop immortality Tony leaves no stone unturned. But it's only after a chance encounter with Norman Wisdom that things get really strange.
Is it really possible that together they could crash the charts in Albania? A midst all the uncertainty only one thing is clear - in One Hit Wonderland anything is possible.

'All I knew about Moldova were the names of eleven men printed on the inside back pages of my newspaper. None of them sounded to me like they were any good at tennis ...'

An eccentric wager finds Tony Hawks, a man who loves an unusual challenge, bound for the little-known Eastern European state of Moldova. His mission: to track down members of the country's football team and persuade them to play him at tennis. The bizarre quest ultimately has little to do with tennis or football, but instead turns into an extraordinary journey involving the Moldovan underworld, gypsies, chronic power shortages, near kidnap, and a surprisingly tender relationship with his host family.

Follow the fortunes of Tony in this hilarious and often moving adventure as it takes him from Moldova, onwards to Northern Ireland, leading to an exciting denouement in Nazareth - and the naked truth of the bet's final outcome ...

'I hereby bet Tony Hawks the sum of One Hundred Pounds that he cannot hitchhike round the circumference of Ireland, with a fridge, within one calendar month'

A foolhardy attempt to win a drunken bet led to Tony Hawks having one of the most unforgettable experiences of his life. Joined by his trusty travelling-companion-cum-domestic-appliance, he found himself in the midst of a remarkable, inspirational and, at times, downright silly adventure.

In their month of madness, Tony and his fridge surfed together; entered a batchelor festival; and one of them had sex without the other knowing. The fridge got christened, and they even met the poorest king on Earth.

An absurd story of an extraordinary adventure, Round Ireland with a Fridge follows the fearless pair as they battle towards Dublin and a breathtaking finale that is moving, uplifting, and a fitting conclusion to the whole ridiculous affair.