LIFE ON WHEELS Scroll Down To Start 🙂🙂🙂 🙄

or where you left off 😀

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August 2023

Got both new WAV an new chair and other than a few trips to the local town I have had no adventures. Today was different. This morning I drove my Power Chair into the car and was taken to another local destination. We went to Marquis Drive on Cannock Chase. Here there are a couple of flat, surfaced trails ideal for my chair. There are benches set by the trail should you need a rest. The surface is generally smooth although there is a bumpy bit and the odd pothole. The path is wide enough to accommodate the two way traffic of other chairs, push chairs, bikes, scooters and dog walkers.

As we headed back to the car stopped at the little cafe for refreshments. I stayed outside but am told I would get inside ok.

I think I could tackle this in my manual chair if really necessary but won’t try to prove it.

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February 2023

Took delivery of a power chair this week and tried it in a potential new WAV car. All ok and manageable so now the car is on order but it has about a 6monrpth waite. Meanwhile I keep practicing up and our street, every day except Thursday which is bin men day and there are too many wheelibins to negotiate. I find it hard to go straight at the moment.

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Mary’s tearoom.

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It’s 2022 now and trip today was to Bishton in Staffordshire.

Hi, whilst my brother was about this weekend (muscle power)We went to see what the tea room at Bishton was like to access in my wheelchair. The tearoom itself was great with plenty of room and easy for my wheelchair, note I had coffee and there were things to eat too. The problem was getting from the car to it! There is no disabled space so it was a case of get me out as near as possible then park the car . The tearoom is in a courtyard which is also not a good surface and for me a very bumpy ride, I did not venture into other doors and have no idea where the toilets were or if there is a disabled one. I won’t be getting mom to push me there yet.

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First post Covid 19 trip.

This was the first trip in about 2 years thanks to Covid 19, so this review may be a bit shaky! A trip out to a nearby nursery eased us back into the world gently.

The first thing that was really noticeable was the size of the carpark, huge, and there were plenty of disabled spaces. Some of the spaces were near to the entrance/exit. The ground was my first easy to wheel on surface of the day.

There are other shop on the site, not just the Garden centre, park further out and you pass them en route to the main building. We went in a couple and I don’t think I have ever seen isles so big. The layout was very wheelchair friendly with an easy surface to wheel on and wide automatic doors at the entrances. Turns out this wheelchair friendly theme extended intro the garden centre with both easy wheeling and wide aisles.

There was a disabled toilet which did not require a key, good layout with plenty of room. I didn’t notice a hoist but I did notice the emergence pull cord didn’t reach the floor, but was tied up.

Like most garden centres there was a restaurant, there was plenty of room to manoeuvre and the chair fitted nicely under the table. Food was good too.

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July 2021 and things are moving, slowly and safely but moving. Except my hearing. I am still deaf.

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March 2020

It is now March 2020 and I have spent most of the time since December in hospital or undergoing home treatment, hence no trips. Please visit my other blog to find out what happened. ear2hear.tumblr.com

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December 2019 and I can hear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My first excursion on my own with hearing was for a meal to celebrate a friends birthday and Christmas. It was at lunchtime, so not dark but very wet. The venue was Ye Olde Dun Cow in Colton, a place I had not visited before. It was torrential rain and a mad dash to get inside, my observation was not brilliant and I failed to note if there were disabled spaces, but I did note the car park was fairly large and the surface good for the wheelchair. There is a gentle, curvy slop in, I thing it is at the side of the building. Once inside there was no problem getting to our table, and I stayed in my chair as it fitted nicely to the table. The table positioning was great as it was behind a wall and quiet (nobody walking past) which was ideal for my hearing.

Staff I met were all cheerful and helpful and the food lovely, made even better by the fact Guinness was available.

Ye olde Dun Cow does not have a disabled toilet but there is a large area around the sinks, large enough for the wheelchair. The chair stayed outside and the cubicle entered using the walls for support. Grab rails would be a helpful addition here. Getting in and out of the toilets was challenging too as there are 2 doors at right angles which the wheelchair did not like and found a tight squeeze.

I really enjoyed the whole experience off good food, good friends and forgetting my disability for a few hours.

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October - November

October and November were quiet months largely spent at home, the reason as you may know is I had a cochlear implant.

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Late September entry, only just made it...

Into September was an afternoons trip to the Monkey Forest at Trentham, the weather was perfect, dry (it had rained in the morning) and not too hot or cold. As we pulled up there is an area marked disabled which is good, but not with individual spa aces marked. The surface is sort of sand and gravel and I. Was thankful I was pushed, although it was bumpy. The area around the entrance kiosk was much smoother but weren't there for long. There is a path you follow around the forest and the monkeys roam freely about you, although I hasten to add they ignore you, which was a great relief to me. I would advise having a strong pusher or power as there is a steep bit. All around are information boards which were positioned perfectly for me to read in my chair. Staff in high visibility jackets also lined the route and shared information about individual monkeys. After watching the monkey for a while we headed for the coffee shop (this was the smoothest surface yet!) my chair fitting nicely under the table. coffee and a muffins and a chat via my writing board took us to closing time and they were stacking chairs around us. I did not go into the shop but it did look like I'd get in at least. I did look into the disabled toilet, it seemed enormous, you'd get more than one chair in there! There are grab tails by the toilet. But no hoist and the red (emergency) cord did not reach the floor, and finally as a positive note it was not looked. A super trip out.

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I got out!

In August I did visit a new cafe, Tuppenhurst Barn, for coffee. It is an out of the way cafe, hence quiet. Disabled access is great, there is a large carpark just outside the entrance. There seemed to be no purposely marked disabled spaces but the surface was easy to wheel on. Once inside you turned right into the Barn, there was a very gentle slope to negotiate and pick a table. I stayed in my chair, which pulled nicely up to the table. After coffee and a scone (very nice) I went to investigate. The floor is wooden and no trouble self propelling, the big widow at the end looks out to more of the farm and there is a door leading to the outer seating area. I wheeled back to the entrance (needed a bit of help up the slope) and leaped into the toilet. No problems there, plenty of room for the chair, grab rails, the red emergency cord hung freely to the ground and there were clean hand towels for visitors as well as being very clean. Alas no hoist and you have to share with babies but never mind.

I also found out that being a bed and breakfast they have suitable accommodation for a disabled guest, with a wet room as well. It is very handy for anyone visiting The National Memorial Arboretum and needing a stay.

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Coffee anyone? The photo should say Tuppenhust barn not Tuppers, flipping computer!