Andrew Brooks and poet Ian McMillan are encouraging people to share inspiration from their dawn walks on the first World Early Stroll Day on 14 June as part of their free exhibition at Manchester’s Portico Library
Fitness influencer Ashton Hall’s over the top viral six hour morning routine might have racked up over a million views on TikTok.
But for one High Peak photographer, all it takes to start the day the best possible way is a simple dawn walk.
And Andrew Brooks, from New Mills, is so confident that this is the only way to embrace the first light, he is launching World Early Stroll Day on Saturday 14 June 2025, along with poet and BBC broadcaster Ian McMillan.
The pair are inviting people to join them in kick-starting their mornings – and finding new appreciation for what’s on their doorstep – by creating content from a mindful local walk from their front door.
Words, pictures, sound recordings, drawings and other responses can be shared across X, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook along with the hashtag #WorldEarlyStrollDay.
Poet Ian is no stranger to tweeting about his pre-dawn walks, and his lyrical early morning musings are enjoyed each day by his 58K followers on Twitter.
For Andrew, the habit began when the pair decided to collaborate on an exhibition called The Songs The Morning Sang, which is at The Portico Library in Manchester 5 June-27 September 2025.
