Sometimes it’s hard to remember that Bedford was recently recognised as the second most generous town in the UK and that we have a long history of welcoming strangers into our midst.
Read: JustGiving names Bedford as UK’s second most generous town
A timely reminder of this fact occurred last Friday (5 September), when three Danish hitchhikers found themselves in Bedford on their way to a football match in Stoke-on-Trent.
Nikolaj, Mathias and Frederik left Copenhagen on Wednesday, 3 September with the aim to ‘thumb’ their way to the Port Vale ground in time for kick-off on Saturday afternoon.
Speaking to the Bedford Independent, Frederik said: “We are three Danish friends who go on annual hitchhiking adventures and have previously gone to Barcelona, Dijon, Split and Cologne, but this year the destination was something entirely different.
“We are fans of the football club, Port Vale, so this year’s goal was to hitchhike to Burslem, one of the towns in Stoke-on-Trent, before kick-off on 6 September at 3 pm.
“[In Copenhagen] there is a designated hitchhiking spot, and at it you’ll find a sign that says ‘Trust and generosity are the glue of society’, and when you hitchhike, you practice both.
“Hitchhiking cars are wonderful spaces for conversation where you meet helpful people across cultures.”
For this plucky trio, the journey is as much part of the adventure as the destination.
“Most people in the world are good”
“It is deeply life-affirming every time someone chooses to pick us up, and we gain a unique trust in the idea that most people in the world are good, and that as humans we truly wish each other well.”
By Friday, the Danes had made their way from Copehagen to Calais and then to Watford. From there, they were picked up to two South African women who took them to Bedford where they (wisely) decided to spend the night.
Keen to have an authentic English pub experience, they headed straight to award-winning The Wellington Arms when Frederik said, “lived up to our demands”.
“It was a truly local vibe buzzing on a Friday night, made even livelier by the hearty laughter and great atmosphere in the pub. There were friendly, curious, and talkative people who asked about our backpacks and cardboard signs, and one sign in particular – with the name Stoke – drew attention, as Emily the amazing bartender was from Stoke and wanted to help us on our way to Burslem.
“She went above and beyond to spread the word about our adventure, truly a fantastic person to meet.
“We also got chatting with Bill the Thrill (The Tempeh Man) and his girlfriend, who were an incredible help. Not only did they make sure we had a great evening at The Wellington Arms, but they were also very hospitable and offered us a place to stay for the night.”
After a refreshing night at The Welly, Nikolaj, Mathias and Frederik woke up on match day with 124 miles ahead of them.
After a dispiriting morning, two short, but crucial rides, took them to Milton Keynes, where there were plenty of people and lots of encouraging reactions to their endeavour.
“We spoke several times with a man who was very enthusiastic about our journey but initially didn’t have room in his car,” said Frederik.
“It was getting to the point where even reaching the match by train was looking unlikely, when the same man came back to us and said he had made space and would drive us all the way to Burslem.
“We were ecstatic and hugged the man, who gave us a big hug back. Complete strangers embracing.”
Arriving 90 minutes before kick-off, the trio joined other Valiants to watch the match which, unfortunately ended 2–3 in the very last minutes of stoppage time.
“But at that time we were only filled with love and appreciation of people who had helped us get to our final destination. We will definitely be back to Bedford, Burslem and take on more hitchhiking adventures,” he said.
The journey took them over 1,500 kilometers with 21 different drivers.
“Some gave us a ride for just 10 minutes, while others drove us for several hours. With some, we had long conversations and learned about their work, hobbies, interests, families, and ideological views, while others couldn’t speak English at all.
“In some places we waited for two hours, in others only five minutes.”
But the big question remains… why Port Vale?
Asked about their connection to Port Vale, Frederik explained: “Seven years ago, Nikolaj visited his cousin Jakob Haugaard, who was then a (third) goalkeeper for Stoke City. He wasn’t too fond about that club but heard about Port Vale and liked the idea of a “small” club.
“Since then, we’ve all been keeping an eye on their results, celebrating their wins, and slowly becoming long-distance fans. Now that they’ve earned promotion to League One, we felt it was the perfect time to celebrate by finally coming over to watch a match in person.”
He said they’re looking forward to following the team even more closely in the years to come – and hopefully returning to see another match.
We are certain that they would be guaranteed a very warm welcome at The Welly if they were to find themselves in Bedford again.
NB: Hitchhiking is legal in the UK provided you are not waiting on a motorway or slip road.
