Hovis ‘boy on his bike’ returns to iconic hill after 50 years

By Jill Dando News

The original Hovis “boy on the bike” has returned to the scene of the iconic advert 50 years after it first aired. 

Carl Barlow was 13 when he starred in the commercial, pushing a bike with a basket of bread up Gold Hill in Dorset.

The advert was once voted the most iconic of all time, and the cobbled Shaftesbury street went on to become a popular tourist destination.

Picture – HOVIS

Now 64, Mr Barlow said the advert was a “huge part” of his life and he was “delighted” to recreate it.

The original advert was directed by Sir Ridley Scott and aired for the first time in October 1973.

Set in post-war Britain, the young boy is seen struggling to push his bread delivery bike up the steep slope before free-wheeling back down, accompanied by a brass rendition of Dvorak’s New World Symphony.

It stole hearts across the nation, and a poll by Kantar saw UK consumers vote it the most iconic and heart-warming advert of all time.

Mr Barlow returned with a new Hovis “boy on the bike” – 11-year-old Alex Freeman – to complete the short journey again.

Picture – HOVIS

“While it’s harder to make it to the top of the hill today, the ride back down is still just as great,” Mr Barlow joked.

Claire Parlour, marketing director at Hovis, said the company was “honoured” by the lasting impact of the advert. 

“It’s clear that the advert’s core message of hard-work, family, the strength of community, and of course, delicious bread, still resonates with people today,” she said.

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