A grieving RAF airman quit his job and sold everything to travel across Europe – with his pet ferret.
Charlie Hammerton, 25, was dealing with the deaths of his best friend, mother and adopted mum in just a year.
In a bid to feel more positive, he decided to travel the continent with his “best pal”, rescue ferret Bandit.
He quit his job and sold possessions including his three cars to drum up £15,000 for his dream road trip.
Starting out in February 2018 Charlie and Bandit ventured from Edinburgh to Holland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, France, Spain and Italy on their European.
His holiday album is full of cute snaps of Bandit posing in front of an array of iconic landmarks – from the Eiffel Tower to St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
Charlie, from Falmouth, Cornwall, said: “Travelling was the most amazing experience of my life and it was liberating.
“We camped under the stars in amazing places. It was beautiful and I spent it with my best friend.”
Charlie got Bandit from a rescue sanctuary in 2015.
His furry friend even stayed with him at his military digs in RAF Coningsby.
But Charlie suffered depression and suicidal thoughts after his string of heartbreaking losses in 2017.
His mum Jan died in March 2017, aged 53, after suffering with motor neurone disease, his best friend Will Moss passed away at just 22 and his adopted mum Samantha died after suffering a heart attack.
Living in Arnold, Notts, at the time he decided to turn his back on a promising career and plough almost all of his money into the adventure of a lifetime.
He said: “I developed depression, I felt suicidal. I channelled the negative and turned it into something positive.”
He has now written a book, called Before Our Adventures, and travels the country teaching outdoor education.
But there was a tragic twist in the tale when Bandit died a week after they returned to England in September 2018.
