Toby Carr sister Katie finishes Moderate Becoming Good Later

Toby, a senior lecturer in architecture at Falmouth University and keen kayker, had set out to kayak in each of the UK’s Shipping Forecast areas.

He moved to Cornwall in 2019 to spend more time on the water pursuing his love of kayaking.

By the end of 2021, he had almost completed his tour around the Shipping Forecast areas – for which he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship – and was writing a book about the adventures.

His last trip out on the water was a week before he died. He was planning a book about the meaning of his adventures when he passed away aged 40.

Toby captured his adventure in recordings, videos, notes, photos and social media all of which made it possible for his sister Katie, to write “Moderate Becoming Good Later” after his death. 

Moderate Becoming Good Later (Image: Katie Carr)

Toby Carr set out to explore the areas of the Shipping Forecast on a series of adventures, from Southeast Iceland to Trafalgar via North Utsire, Faeroes, German Bight, Fisher, Plymouth, FitzRoy and all the others in between.

Toby hoped to gain the strength and balance he knew nature could provide and to discover the things that anchor us to each other.

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The expedition also gave him space and time that he desperately needed, to reflect on the death of his brother from the rare genetic condition that they were both born with, and to process the personal challenges that life had set him over the years. 

This material also forms the basis of the now published “Moderate Becoming Good Later: A multimedia adventure around the Shipping Forecast” which also includes readings from the book, details on its creation and a Q&A session with Katie.

Katie will be giving a talk about the book at the Poly on Tuesday June 13 at 6.30pm. Tickets £5 +£1 Poly fund.