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We visited the Runway Park at Manchester Airport, so that we could tour the Concorde that is on display there. I was really excited about this trip as I haven’t been on a Concorde since I worked for British Airways at London Heathrow.
This is a tour that has to be booked in advance and we had a 6 week wait from booking our slot, as we were restricted as to when we could visit. There are steps up to the aircraft and you need to duck your head as you go through the door, so this is a tour that is unsuitable for those with really restricted mobility. We got to sit on the aircraft and were told various facts about the aircraft, and regaled with stories of famous people who have travelled on Concorde.
We also sat in the cockpit area and were given more information about the aircraft. I discovered that our guide in the cockpit worked at Heathrow at around the same time as I did, so we had a chat about the time that we worked there too.
After the tour was over, we went and had lunch in the cafe. We thought that it was reasonably priced, considering it was at an airport, and we enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed the day and my nostalgia trip!
We are a family of three. George has ASD, EDS and dyspraxia. John is totally blind and partially deaf. Sue is our driver and trip organiser. These are the tales of our adventures. All opinions are our own.
Friday, 27 December 2019
Friday, 20 December 2019
Ford Green Hall 17th Century Yuletide
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We visited Ford Green Hall to find out how Christmas was celebrated in Tudor/Stuart times. There were a lot of fir tree branches and holly used as decorations. Whereas people may have a wreath on their front door nowadays; back then they simply had a fir tree branch hanging down, with some holly interspersed among the leaves, and the berries adding some red among all the green. My first impression was that they had half a tree hanging from the front door!
Moving inside, the decorations were the same inside the house. There were fir tree branches hanging down, with sprigs of holly, and some of them had candles in the decoration. The candles used weren’t real ones, but I can imagine that back in the 17th century, when they would have used real candles, that it was a bit of a fire hazard.
Every Christmas time, I have always wondered why mince pies are called ‘mince pies’ when they don’t have any meat in them. After going into the kitchen area, we found out! I think, on balance, I prefer the mince pies we have today! We also discovered how wealthy people showed off their wealth at Christmas time and discovered just how expensive sugar was back then!
Heading upstairs, we found an area where you could make pomanders. Essentially, they had an orange and stuck cloves in it. This area was really busy and there was a queue of people waiting for a go. As George doesn’t cope well with crowds and waiting around, we decided the best option was to leave.
We decided to stop at a supermarket on the way home and get some oranges and cloves, so we could make our own pomanders at home. Fortunately, at the supermarket, I grabbed a basket rather than a trolley as we ended up getting mince pies, cake, Quality Street, Pringles and trifle mix, as well as the oranges and cloves that we’d originally gone in for! I dread to think what else we may have bought if I’d have grabbed a trolley! We made our own pomanders at home and have placed them around the house, so every so often we get a waft of orange and cloves.
We enjoyed this visit to Ford Green Hall and found it really interesting finding how Christmas was celebrated in the 17th century.
We visited Ford Green Hall to find out how Christmas was celebrated in Tudor/Stuart times. There were a lot of fir tree branches and holly used as decorations. Whereas people may have a wreath on their front door nowadays; back then they simply had a fir tree branch hanging down, with some holly interspersed among the leaves, and the berries adding some red among all the green. My first impression was that they had half a tree hanging from the front door!
Moving inside, the decorations were the same inside the house. There were fir tree branches hanging down, with sprigs of holly, and some of them had candles in the decoration. The candles used weren’t real ones, but I can imagine that back in the 17th century, when they would have used real candles, that it was a bit of a fire hazard.
Every Christmas time, I have always wondered why mince pies are called ‘mince pies’ when they don’t have any meat in them. After going into the kitchen area, we found out! I think, on balance, I prefer the mince pies we have today! We also discovered how wealthy people showed off their wealth at Christmas time and discovered just how expensive sugar was back then!
Heading upstairs, we found an area where you could make pomanders. Essentially, they had an orange and stuck cloves in it. This area was really busy and there was a queue of people waiting for a go. As George doesn’t cope well with crowds and waiting around, we decided the best option was to leave.
We decided to stop at a supermarket on the way home and get some oranges and cloves, so we could make our own pomanders at home. Fortunately, at the supermarket, I grabbed a basket rather than a trolley as we ended up getting mince pies, cake, Quality Street, Pringles and trifle mix, as well as the oranges and cloves that we’d originally gone in for! I dread to think what else we may have bought if I’d have grabbed a trolley! We made our own pomanders at home and have placed them around the house, so every so often we get a waft of orange and cloves.
We enjoyed this visit to Ford Green Hall and found it really interesting finding how Christmas was celebrated in the 17th century.
Saturday, 14 December 2019
Gladstone Pottery Museum Christmas Fun Day
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We visited Gladstone Pottery museum for their Christmas Fun Day, where John had the opportunity to throw a pot on a potters wheel. This is a small extra cost of £3 in addition to the admission fee and is available year round. John found it to be a really enjoyable experience, which was helped by the staff member there who took the time to help John and guide his hands.
When we went outside, we met a very tall fairy, from the top of a Christmas tree, and some naughty elves. The fairy was very friendly but the elves were trying to give children lumps of coal as Christmas presents! They did stop and pose with George for a Christmas ‘elfie’ though.
After this, we went back inside and had a go at painting some Christmas pottery. Again, this was a small extra cost in addition to the admission fee. How much extra depended on the size of the pot you chose to decorate. John and I chose to decorate some pottery tree decorations that cost £1 each. John had help from a staff member in there and really enjoyed his painting experience.
We looked at some other parts of the museum, and John was allowed to touch some of the items, so he had an idea of what it was we were looking at.
Our final stop was in the Doctor’s House, where we met Santa and Mrs Clause. John had a nice chat with Santa, and he gave both John and George some chocolate.
We had a really enjoyable time and, as we have found on previous occasions, found the staff to be really helpful in trying to make everything as accessible as possible. It is definitely worth a visit.
We visited Gladstone Pottery museum for their Christmas Fun Day, where John had the opportunity to throw a pot on a potters wheel. This is a small extra cost of £3 in addition to the admission fee and is available year round. John found it to be a really enjoyable experience, which was helped by the staff member there who took the time to help John and guide his hands.
When we went outside, we met a very tall fairy, from the top of a Christmas tree, and some naughty elves. The fairy was very friendly but the elves were trying to give children lumps of coal as Christmas presents! They did stop and pose with George for a Christmas ‘elfie’ though.
After this, we went back inside and had a go at painting some Christmas pottery. Again, this was a small extra cost in addition to the admission fee. How much extra depended on the size of the pot you chose to decorate. John and I chose to decorate some pottery tree decorations that cost £1 each. John had help from a staff member in there and really enjoyed his painting experience.
We looked at some other parts of the museum, and John was allowed to touch some of the items, so he had an idea of what it was we were looking at.
Our final stop was in the Doctor’s House, where we met Santa and Mrs Clause. John had a nice chat with Santa, and he gave both John and George some chocolate.
We had a really enjoyable time and, as we have found on previous occasions, found the staff to be really helpful in trying to make everything as accessible as possible. It is definitely worth a visit.
Sunday, 8 December 2019
Middleport Pottery Christmas Lights Switch On
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We went to Middleport Pottery for their Christmas lights switch on. We hadn’t been there since we visited the Weeping Window exhibition, with the poppies, so we were looking forward to visiting this Victorian Pottery again.
When we arrived there were two queues of people - one for those who had bought advance tickets (as we had) and those who were paying on the gate. Both queues of people were being allowed in together, so it was very crowded.
One of the first things we did was to stop by a stall that was selling mulled wine, hot spicy apple juice and mince pies. We had the apple juice, which was delicious. Unfortunately it seems that Middleport Pottery had completely underestimated the number of people who turned up and they very quickly ran out of the mulled wine and apple juice.
There were several mini events scheduled before the main light switch on, however due to the sheer number of people there, it was virtually impossible to access them - especially for wheelchair users.
We missed the actual light switch on as we couldn’t get anywhere near it, again due to the sheer number of people there. We did see the lights after they’d been switched on and thought they looked very good, as they fitted in well with the Victorian style.
We think that the evening would have been much better if Middleport Pottery hadn’t allowed so many people in. Maybe it would have worked better if they’d allowed advance ticket holders in first, and then people who were paying on the gate afterwards, if there was enough capacity for them.
I don’t think it’s an event that we would want to go to next year as it seemed quite chaotic and disorganised. However, the pottery itself is an interesting place to visit.
We went to Middleport Pottery for their Christmas lights switch on. We hadn’t been there since we visited the Weeping Window exhibition, with the poppies, so we were looking forward to visiting this Victorian Pottery again.
When we arrived there were two queues of people - one for those who had bought advance tickets (as we had) and those who were paying on the gate. Both queues of people were being allowed in together, so it was very crowded.
One of the first things we did was to stop by a stall that was selling mulled wine, hot spicy apple juice and mince pies. We had the apple juice, which was delicious. Unfortunately it seems that Middleport Pottery had completely underestimated the number of people who turned up and they very quickly ran out of the mulled wine and apple juice.
There were several mini events scheduled before the main light switch on, however due to the sheer number of people there, it was virtually impossible to access them - especially for wheelchair users.
We missed the actual light switch on as we couldn’t get anywhere near it, again due to the sheer number of people there. We did see the lights after they’d been switched on and thought they looked very good, as they fitted in well with the Victorian style.
We think that the evening would have been much better if Middleport Pottery hadn’t allowed so many people in. Maybe it would have worked better if they’d allowed advance ticket holders in first, and then people who were paying on the gate afterwards, if there was enough capacity for them.
I don’t think it’s an event that we would want to go to next year as it seemed quite chaotic and disorganised. However, the pottery itself is an interesting place to visit.
Friday, 15 November 2019
Trip to the Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port
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We visited the Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. We purchased a child ticket, an adult ticket and were given a carer’s ticket. The beauty of these is that they are valid for 12 months, so we can visit anytime in the next 12 months and not pay again.
The museum is operated by the Canal & River Trust and is located on the Shropshire Union Canal where it meets the Manchester Ship Canal, at the site of a former industrial port.
There are some old boats on the canal, which visitors can climb into, to look at. The boats are quite long, as they were used to transport goods, and the living accommodation is very small - particularly in comparison to the length of the boats. On some boats, there wasn’t even enough room for an adult to stand up in the living accommodation! To access the boats outside on the canal, you do have to be mobile, however both John and George were able to access them with help.
Further along there are some old cottages that would have been used by the workers at the port. Each cottage represents a different era from the 1800s through to the 1950s. These are accessible for wheelchair users as there is a ramp up to the door.
There is also an indoor exhibition area. Inside, on the ground floor, there are scenes depicting the making of boats from the era the port was in use. In the upstairs area, which is accessible by stairs or lift, there is a boat that has a ramp to it, allowing people with less mobility to see inside one of the boats and see the tiny living accommodation.
There is also a leisure boat from the 1950s on display, however this can only be viewed from outside of the boat. In addition, there is an interactive exhibit where you can “work” on an ice breaking boat, which kind of gives an idea of how hard the men on the boat would have worked to clear ice from the canal in Winter. John had a go of this - unfortunately he fell over, which meant that if he’d been doing the job for real he would have fallen into the icy canal!
We really enjoyed our day there and would definitely visit again.
We visited the Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. We purchased a child ticket, an adult ticket and were given a carer’s ticket. The beauty of these is that they are valid for 12 months, so we can visit anytime in the next 12 months and not pay again.
The museum is operated by the Canal & River Trust and is located on the Shropshire Union Canal where it meets the Manchester Ship Canal, at the site of a former industrial port.
There are some old boats on the canal, which visitors can climb into, to look at. The boats are quite long, as they were used to transport goods, and the living accommodation is very small - particularly in comparison to the length of the boats. On some boats, there wasn’t even enough room for an adult to stand up in the living accommodation! To access the boats outside on the canal, you do have to be mobile, however both John and George were able to access them with help.
Further along there are some old cottages that would have been used by the workers at the port. Each cottage represents a different era from the 1800s through to the 1950s. These are accessible for wheelchair users as there is a ramp up to the door.
There is also an indoor exhibition area. Inside, on the ground floor, there are scenes depicting the making of boats from the era the port was in use. In the upstairs area, which is accessible by stairs or lift, there is a boat that has a ramp to it, allowing people with less mobility to see inside one of the boats and see the tiny living accommodation.
There is also a leisure boat from the 1950s on display, however this can only be viewed from outside of the boat. In addition, there is an interactive exhibit where you can “work” on an ice breaking boat, which kind of gives an idea of how hard the men on the boat would have worked to clear ice from the canal in Winter. John had a go of this - unfortunately he fell over, which meant that if he’d been doing the job for real he would have fallen into the icy canal!
We really enjoyed our day there and would definitely visit again.
Friday, 25 October 2019
Trip to Matlock Bath
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Matlock Bath is probably best known for the Heights of Abraham and its cable car ride up there. The town itself kind of has an almost “sea-side” feel to it - even though it’s in Derbyshire and therefore in the middle of the country! I think the “sea-side” feel comes from having touristy type shops on one side of the road, and the River Derwent on the other. We spent a short amount of time in the town, (which has more fish & chip shops in one place than I’ve ever seen before!) but most of our visit was spent at the Heights of Abraham.
To get to the top of the Heights of Abraham there is an Alpine style cable car to take you up. To get to the station at the bottom there is quite a steep pathway, which could be difficult for wheelchair users. We didn’t use George’s chair on this occasion because it wouldn’t have made it up the gradient of the path, so we made sure he had plenty of opportunities to sit down and rest. The tickets that you buy at the bottom cable car station enable you to access everything at the Heights of Abraham. We purchased an adult ticket, child ticket and I had a carer’s ticket.
Personally, I found the cable car ride terrifying, although John and George were fine with it. I found the swaying very unnerving, and the way that the cable car almost slows to a stop about half way up, while it passes the cable car on the way down, I found to be disconcerting too. I travelled up with my eyes firmly shut, while gripping on to my seat, and telling John and George not to move, to reduce the swaying! On the way down, the operator at the top suggested that I sat with my back to the direction of travel, so I was looking at where we’d been, rather than where we were going. I found doing that made it much easier, and I actually travelled down with my eyes open!
Once we were at the top, and my feet were on solid ground, I really enjoyed the fantastic views that you get from up there. Besides the views, there’s a cafe, a restaurant and a shop near to the cable car station.
There are also two caverns that can be explored, with guides. The cavern at the top has steps down and some low ceilings, so you need to duck as you are walking through. We didn’t go in this cavern, partly because we were unsure how George would manage without his chair, and partly because a lot of the walk involved walking in single file and it would be tricky to guide John, and to make sure he ducked his head in the low parts. There is an option to watch a film about the cavern instead, so that’s what we did. The lower cavern is reached by a steep path, which signs posted nearby recommend that wheelchair users do not use due to the gradient, so we did not go down there.
There are a few children’s play areas and an old Victorian tower, which can be climbed to get an even better look at the view. The steps go round inside the tower and, to me, looked like the stuff of nightmares! As I wasn’t feeling particularly brave that day, I enjoyed the view from the bottom of the tower!
We had our lunch sitting on a balcony in the cafe and enjoyed a Bakewell slice, while taking in the panoramic views of the town. We found the food to be reasonably priced and it tasted pretty good too.
All in all it was an enjoyable day and we would visit again. Next time though, I will make sure that I sit with my back to the direction of travel in the cable car!
Matlock Bath is probably best known for the Heights of Abraham and its cable car ride up there. The town itself kind of has an almost “sea-side” feel to it - even though it’s in Derbyshire and therefore in the middle of the country! I think the “sea-side” feel comes from having touristy type shops on one side of the road, and the River Derwent on the other. We spent a short amount of time in the town, (which has more fish & chip shops in one place than I’ve ever seen before!) but most of our visit was spent at the Heights of Abraham.
To get to the top of the Heights of Abraham there is an Alpine style cable car to take you up. To get to the station at the bottom there is quite a steep pathway, which could be difficult for wheelchair users. We didn’t use George’s chair on this occasion because it wouldn’t have made it up the gradient of the path, so we made sure he had plenty of opportunities to sit down and rest. The tickets that you buy at the bottom cable car station enable you to access everything at the Heights of Abraham. We purchased an adult ticket, child ticket and I had a carer’s ticket.
Personally, I found the cable car ride terrifying, although John and George were fine with it. I found the swaying very unnerving, and the way that the cable car almost slows to a stop about half way up, while it passes the cable car on the way down, I found to be disconcerting too. I travelled up with my eyes firmly shut, while gripping on to my seat, and telling John and George not to move, to reduce the swaying! On the way down, the operator at the top suggested that I sat with my back to the direction of travel, so I was looking at where we’d been, rather than where we were going. I found doing that made it much easier, and I actually travelled down with my eyes open!
Once we were at the top, and my feet were on solid ground, I really enjoyed the fantastic views that you get from up there. Besides the views, there’s a cafe, a restaurant and a shop near to the cable car station.
There are also two caverns that can be explored, with guides. The cavern at the top has steps down and some low ceilings, so you need to duck as you are walking through. We didn’t go in this cavern, partly because we were unsure how George would manage without his chair, and partly because a lot of the walk involved walking in single file and it would be tricky to guide John, and to make sure he ducked his head in the low parts. There is an option to watch a film about the cavern instead, so that’s what we did. The lower cavern is reached by a steep path, which signs posted nearby recommend that wheelchair users do not use due to the gradient, so we did not go down there.
There are a few children’s play areas and an old Victorian tower, which can be climbed to get an even better look at the view. The steps go round inside the tower and, to me, looked like the stuff of nightmares! As I wasn’t feeling particularly brave that day, I enjoyed the view from the bottom of the tower!
We had our lunch sitting on a balcony in the cafe and enjoyed a Bakewell slice, while taking in the panoramic views of the town. We found the food to be reasonably priced and it tasted pretty good too.
All in all it was an enjoyable day and we would visit again. Next time though, I will make sure that I sit with my back to the direction of travel in the cable car!
Friday, 18 October 2019
Visit to Bakewell
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We visited Bakewell in Derbyshire, the home of the Bakewell pudding and tart. This was our first time visiting and, unfortunately, our first impressions were not good.
We found it very difficult to park, and found that the disabled parking spaces on the main car parks were quite small. We eventually parked near to Boots, where the disabled spaces were of a reasonable size. In Bakewell, everyone has to pay to park, even Blue Badge holders, so the next task was to find a machine to pay for parking. Where we parked there was an arrow pointing to the right, that was supposed to indicate where you could pay for parking. It wasn’t very clear though and I had to ask an attendant where to pay. He directed me to a nearby car park. When I got to the machine, I discovered that the maximum parking time was two hours, which meant that we felt kind of rushed for the whole visit. We did see a long stay car park while we were driving around, but that was full. The machine said that it took card payments and cash, although like most machines it would not give change. There were also notices saying that attendants wouldn’t give change either. I wanted to pay by card, however the machine would not accept the payment. The same attendant that I saw earlier told me that the machines were temperamental and sometimes wouldn’t take card payments. This was a time that the machine wouldn’t take the payment. Luckily, I managed to scrape together enough change to pay the parking charge. A woman trying to pay after me was extremely annoyed that she had gone through the hassle of trying to park, to then be unable to pay by card as she didn’t have enough change.
Eventually, after all the problems with parking, we went for a walk around the town. It’s very picturesque and has a lot of places where you can get something to eat and drink. It was also very busy as it’s popular with tourists, and as it’s in the Peak District, a lot of walkers go there too. There are a few shops around that (not surprisingly) sell Bakewell puddings and Bakewell tarts, and these shops also offer a postal service where they will send a pudding or a tart to you at home. We went into one of the shops and we had some Bakewell tarts, and we bought a large one to bring home. After eating a Bakewell tart from Bakewell, I can honestly say that I could never eat a mass produced Bakewell tart from a supermarket again! They were delicious and I wished that I had bought more than one tart to bring home! I shall definitely give serious consideration to using the Bakewell postal service to get another Bakewell tart.
It’s unlikely that we will visit again because, although the town is very picturesque and the people are friendly, the whole parking situation has put us off.
We visited Bakewell in Derbyshire, the home of the Bakewell pudding and tart. This was our first time visiting and, unfortunately, our first impressions were not good.
We found it very difficult to park, and found that the disabled parking spaces on the main car parks were quite small. We eventually parked near to Boots, where the disabled spaces were of a reasonable size. In Bakewell, everyone has to pay to park, even Blue Badge holders, so the next task was to find a machine to pay for parking. Where we parked there was an arrow pointing to the right, that was supposed to indicate where you could pay for parking. It wasn’t very clear though and I had to ask an attendant where to pay. He directed me to a nearby car park. When I got to the machine, I discovered that the maximum parking time was two hours, which meant that we felt kind of rushed for the whole visit. We did see a long stay car park while we were driving around, but that was full. The machine said that it took card payments and cash, although like most machines it would not give change. There were also notices saying that attendants wouldn’t give change either. I wanted to pay by card, however the machine would not accept the payment. The same attendant that I saw earlier told me that the machines were temperamental and sometimes wouldn’t take card payments. This was a time that the machine wouldn’t take the payment. Luckily, I managed to scrape together enough change to pay the parking charge. A woman trying to pay after me was extremely annoyed that she had gone through the hassle of trying to park, to then be unable to pay by card as she didn’t have enough change.
Eventually, after all the problems with parking, we went for a walk around the town. It’s very picturesque and has a lot of places where you can get something to eat and drink. It was also very busy as it’s popular with tourists, and as it’s in the Peak District, a lot of walkers go there too. There are a few shops around that (not surprisingly) sell Bakewell puddings and Bakewell tarts, and these shops also offer a postal service where they will send a pudding or a tart to you at home. We went into one of the shops and we had some Bakewell tarts, and we bought a large one to bring home. After eating a Bakewell tart from Bakewell, I can honestly say that I could never eat a mass produced Bakewell tart from a supermarket again! They were delicious and I wished that I had bought more than one tart to bring home! I shall definitely give serious consideration to using the Bakewell postal service to get another Bakewell tart.
It’s unlikely that we will visit again because, although the town is very picturesque and the people are friendly, the whole parking situation has put us off.
Sunday, 13 October 2019
It’s been awhile since we updated our blog. Apologies for that. We have been updating our YouTube channel on a weekly basis, as usual, but have not had the time to update the blog as well. Things are a little less manic now, so we can get back on track.
Since our last update John has started an application for a guide dog, and we have videos about the process to date. We have also visited quite a few places and have videos about where we’ve been 🙂
You can catch up on our YouTube videos here and keep checking back for new blog updates, which will be resuming very soon.
Friday, 12 July 2019
A Proud Parent Moment
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George was really excited to be chosen to do the UK IT Challenge for disabled young people and talked about going on it quite a lot! The event was held over three days at BT’s Adastral Park in Ipswich. Adastral Park is huge and has around 4,000 BT employees working there.
Day 1 of the challenge, George had 2 individual challenges to do. The first involved searching for specific information on the Internet and the second was quite a tough Excel spreadsheet challenge. After that we went to our hotel, where George was thrilled to discover that the room had been booked in his name, so the TV in the room had a welcome message with his name on it, scrolling across the screen!
Day 2 started with a team challenge. George was in a team with three other people. Their task was to program a Crumblebot. This was like a robot challenge with the robot being programmed with a language called Crumble, which is very similar to Scratch. The team observer, from BT, said that the team worked well together and did really well with that challenge. Well done to George and his team mates Zac, Caitlin and Bethany!
After a short break, it was time for the third individual challenge. This involved editing some PowerPoint slides with graphs, pictures, texts, animation and removing the background from a picture.
After lunch it was time for the final challenge, which was another team challenge. On Day 1, each team was given a mobile phone to take photos of the event. This challenge was to use MovieMaker to make a 1 min 30 sec photo montage of how the event went for the team. Once again, the BT observer was impressed at how well the team worked together, and their photo montage looked really good.
On the morning of Day 3 we had a tour of BT’s Innovation Centre. This is something that they normally reserve for corporate visitors, so we were fortunate being able to see it. There were so many really cool innovations there - we wouldn’t mind having some of them at home! After lunch it was time for the awards to be presented. There were runner-up and winner awards for each of the individual challenges, winner awards for the team challenges, plus some other awards too. We were very proud when George was the winner of the third individual challenge - the PowerPoint challenge. His prize was a Google Home Mini, which he was really thrilled to receive.
The staff from the Shaw Trust have obviously gotten to know George pretty well as when he was asked if he was OK, they replied for him with, “Maybe, maybe not”!
George had a fantastic time and would love to do it all again!
Friday, 21 June 2019
Warner Bros. Studio Audio Description Tour
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We had a fabulous day at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Watford. All tickets need to be purchased in advance and, when booking the tickets, you book a specific entry time. Tickets can be purchased online or over the phone. There is a carer’s ticket available, which is free of charge, however this can only be booked over the phone. When tickets are collected, proof of eligibility for a carer’s ticket must be shown. This could be a PIP/DLA letter or blue badge etc.
There is plenty of blue badge parking available. It is advisable to have your blue badge on display in your windscreen when you arrive, so that you can be directed to the blue badge parking area. Security is tight and bags will be checked before entry, and there are also security staff using hand held scanners too. All the staff there are very helpful though.
For visually impaired people, if you phone to book your tickets, you can request an audio descriptive tour. If there is someone available to do the tour then this will be booked for you at no extra charge.
We booked the audio descriptive tour for John. It made so much difference to our experience of the attraction. We had a member of staff accompany us around the tour and explain everything about what we were seeing on the tour. To make it more immersive for John, who obviously was unable to see any of it, there were certain things he was allowed to touch, that most visitors are not allowed to touch. For example, having the opportunity to stroke ‘The Monster Book of Monsters’. If you are a visually impaired person it is definitely worth booking the audio descriptive tour if you can.
It was a fantastic day out and we will most definitely be back!
We had a fabulous day at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Watford. All tickets need to be purchased in advance and, when booking the tickets, you book a specific entry time. Tickets can be purchased online or over the phone. There is a carer’s ticket available, which is free of charge, however this can only be booked over the phone. When tickets are collected, proof of eligibility for a carer’s ticket must be shown. This could be a PIP/DLA letter or blue badge etc.
There is plenty of blue badge parking available. It is advisable to have your blue badge on display in your windscreen when you arrive, so that you can be directed to the blue badge parking area. Security is tight and bags will be checked before entry, and there are also security staff using hand held scanners too. All the staff there are very helpful though.
For visually impaired people, if you phone to book your tickets, you can request an audio descriptive tour. If there is someone available to do the tour then this will be booked for you at no extra charge.
We booked the audio descriptive tour for John. It made so much difference to our experience of the attraction. We had a member of staff accompany us around the tour and explain everything about what we were seeing on the tour. To make it more immersive for John, who obviously was unable to see any of it, there were certain things he was allowed to touch, that most visitors are not allowed to touch. For example, having the opportunity to stroke ‘The Monster Book of Monsters’. If you are a visually impaired person it is definitely worth booking the audio descriptive tour if you can.
It was a fantastic day out and we will most definitely be back!
Friday, 14 June 2019
The National Museum of Computing
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We visited The National Museum of Computing, which is on the Bletchley Park estate. It has the largest collection of historic computers in the UK.
There is a charge for entry, however carers do get free entry. It can be quite difficult to get around if you’re in a wheelchair, because the museum is inside one of the original Bletchley Park huts and is therefore a listed building. They do have wheelchair user only days though, so that it makes it slightly easier for wheelchair users to get around. In addition, they also have autism friendly days too. It’s believed that Alan Turing had Aspergers and his work with computers at that time was phenomenal, so they have a policy of trying to make the museum as accessible as possible for all disabled visitors. The staff there are really helpful and friendly, and will happily demonstrate how the historic computers work.
It really is an interesting place to visit and is separate from Bletchley Park, even though they are on the same estate. If you have time at the end of your Bletchley Park visit, this is definitely worth a look.
We visited The National Museum of Computing, which is on the Bletchley Park estate. It has the largest collection of historic computers in the UK.
There is a charge for entry, however carers do get free entry. It can be quite difficult to get around if you’re in a wheelchair, because the museum is inside one of the original Bletchley Park huts and is therefore a listed building. They do have wheelchair user only days though, so that it makes it slightly easier for wheelchair users to get around. In addition, they also have autism friendly days too. It’s believed that Alan Turing had Aspergers and his work with computers at that time was phenomenal, so they have a policy of trying to make the museum as accessible as possible for all disabled visitors. The staff there are really helpful and friendly, and will happily demonstrate how the historic computers work.
It really is an interesting place to visit and is separate from Bletchley Park, even though they are on the same estate. If you have time at the end of your Bletchley Park visit, this is definitely worth a look.
Friday, 7 June 2019
Bletchley Park
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We visited Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, which was the home of the WW2 code breakers. Parking is free and there are plenty of blue badge holder spaces. We paid for John and George to go in, and I went in for free as a carer. After entering the building, there is a place on the left where audio descriptive devices can be collected, so that people can learn more about Bletchley Park as they’re walking around.
It is a large site, so if you’re someone who has difficulty walking any kind of distance, like George, then we would suggest using a wheelchair or scooter. Having said that however, the doorways and corridors in the huts are quite narrow, particularly with other people about too, so that is something to bear in mind as well.
There is a lake on site with seating around it, so on a sunny day it’s a nice place to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch. There are also picnic tables in front of the mansion. If you haven’t brought your own food with you, there is a cafe in one of the huts, which serves the kind of food that would have been available during WW2.
It is a very interesting place to visit and I’m in awe of the people who designed machines to break the German codes that were used at the time. Bletchley Park is definitely worth a visit.
We visited Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, which was the home of the WW2 code breakers. Parking is free and there are plenty of blue badge holder spaces. We paid for John and George to go in, and I went in for free as a carer. After entering the building, there is a place on the left where audio descriptive devices can be collected, so that people can learn more about Bletchley Park as they’re walking around.
It is a large site, so if you’re someone who has difficulty walking any kind of distance, like George, then we would suggest using a wheelchair or scooter. Having said that however, the doorways and corridors in the huts are quite narrow, particularly with other people about too, so that is something to bear in mind as well.
There is a lake on site with seating around it, so on a sunny day it’s a nice place to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch. There are also picnic tables in front of the mansion. If you haven’t brought your own food with you, there is a cafe in one of the huts, which serves the kind of food that would have been available during WW2.
It is a very interesting place to visit and I’m in awe of the people who designed machines to break the German codes that were used at the time. Bletchley Park is definitely worth a visit.
Monday, 20 May 2019
VI Driving Experience
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This was another opportunity for John to go driving and this time we were accompanied by Jack. Jack is a young man, who is also severely visually impaired, who lives near to us, so we gave him a lift to the event.
There were three cars available for visually impaired people to drive - an Audi, a Ford Focus and a Hyundai i10. In addition, various people had brought along vintage cars, in which they drove different people around the track. The cars for visually impaired people to drive were all automatic and had no duel controls!
Jack was really excited about the day as he had never driven before and he had first go of the Focus. I sat in the back of the car, so that I could film as Jack drove. I’ve always considered myself a bit of a wimp, but maybe I’m not so much as wimp as I thought, as there are not many people who would sit in the back of a car while a blind person is driving! Jack really enjoyed it and did really well for his first time.
John also drove the Focus and I sat in the back of the car again, so I could film John. Again, I think I dispelled any wimpiness I thought I had! John also did well but as this was not his first time driving, he didn’t quite express the enthusiasm that Jack did!
We were really fortunate that George was also allowed to have a go. George drove the i10 and I sat in the back and filmed him as well. George really enjoyed it and also did really well for his first time.
In addition, all of three of them were taken for a ride in some of the vintage cars too.
It was a really enjoyable day for all of us and we’re really looking forward to next time the visually impaired driving experience day is on.
This was another opportunity for John to go driving and this time we were accompanied by Jack. Jack is a young man, who is also severely visually impaired, who lives near to us, so we gave him a lift to the event.
There were three cars available for visually impaired people to drive - an Audi, a Ford Focus and a Hyundai i10. In addition, various people had brought along vintage cars, in which they drove different people around the track. The cars for visually impaired people to drive were all automatic and had no duel controls!
Jack was really excited about the day as he had never driven before and he had first go of the Focus. I sat in the back of the car, so that I could film as Jack drove. I’ve always considered myself a bit of a wimp, but maybe I’m not so much as wimp as I thought, as there are not many people who would sit in the back of a car while a blind person is driving! Jack really enjoyed it and did really well for his first time.
John also drove the Focus and I sat in the back of the car again, so I could film John. Again, I think I dispelled any wimpiness I thought I had! John also did well but as this was not his first time driving, he didn’t quite express the enthusiasm that Jack did!
We were really fortunate that George was also allowed to have a go. George drove the i10 and I sat in the back and filmed him as well. George really enjoyed it and also did really well for his first time.
In addition, all of three of them were taken for a ride in some of the vintage cars too.
It was a really enjoyable day for all of us and we’re really looking forward to next time the visually impaired driving experience day is on.
Blists Hill Victorian Town
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This was our first visit to Blists Hill Victorian Town in Shropshire, and we were really impressed with the accessibility of this museum.
There is a charge to park, however blue badge holders can park for free. Normally when we visit places, the disabled person has to pay to go in and the carer goes in for free. However, here it is the other way around - the carer pays and the disabled person goes in free. This worked in our favour as it meant for us, we only paid for me.
Once we had paid we were given a disabled access booklet that was really detailed as it gave accessibility details for every exhibit there, which we found to be really useful.
The shops were really interesting and we especially enjoyed the sweet shop and the fish & chip shop, with the fish & chips fried in beef dripping!
There is a steep hill in the middle of the town, which has an incline lift for wheelchair users. Unfortunately, on the day we visited the incline lift was not working, so we attempted the hill with George’s chair. There were some gravelly bits on the hill, which George’s chair kept sliding on, so we ended up using the chair as a manual chair. Fortunately for me, a very kind passer-by helped me get the chair down the hill. I was not looking forward to pushing the chair back up but, luckily for me, George was able to get the chair back up by himself, by putting it on full speed and just going for it, while John and I tried to keep up! We were offered the option of moving the car from the main car park at the top, to the staff car park at the bottom, but we bravely (or stupidly) decided to tackle the hill ourselves.
It was a really enjoyable day out and we would definitely visit again.
This was our first visit to Blists Hill Victorian Town in Shropshire, and we were really impressed with the accessibility of this museum.
There is a charge to park, however blue badge holders can park for free. Normally when we visit places, the disabled person has to pay to go in and the carer goes in for free. However, here it is the other way around - the carer pays and the disabled person goes in free. This worked in our favour as it meant for us, we only paid for me.
Once we had paid we were given a disabled access booklet that was really detailed as it gave accessibility details for every exhibit there, which we found to be really useful.
The shops were really interesting and we especially enjoyed the sweet shop and the fish & chip shop, with the fish & chips fried in beef dripping!
There is a steep hill in the middle of the town, which has an incline lift for wheelchair users. Unfortunately, on the day we visited the incline lift was not working, so we attempted the hill with George’s chair. There were some gravelly bits on the hill, which George’s chair kept sliding on, so we ended up using the chair as a manual chair. Fortunately for me, a very kind passer-by helped me get the chair down the hill. I was not looking forward to pushing the chair back up but, luckily for me, George was able to get the chair back up by himself, by putting it on full speed and just going for it, while John and I tried to keep up! We were offered the option of moving the car from the main car park at the top, to the staff car park at the bottom, but we bravely (or stupidly) decided to tackle the hill ourselves.
It was a really enjoyable day out and we would definitely visit again.
Friday, 26 April 2019
Stoke Minster
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We made a visit to Stoke Minster, also known as St.Peter ad Vincula (St. Peter in chains) church. The church and churchyard have a fascinating history dating back to 670AD, when a wooden church was erected on the grounds. This was replaced by the first stone church in 805AD, with the remains of part of the stone Saxon cross still standing in the churchyard. The Saxon baptismal font can be found inside the church itself and is still in use today.
The arches from the 13th century chancel are also still standing and the grave of Josiah Wedgwood lies in front of them. Nearby, the remains of the original altar can also be found.
Wedgwood was not the only master potter to worship at the church, Josiah Spode was also a parishioner and his grave, along with his family members can also be found here.
The “modern” church that we see today was built in 1830, as the original church was no longer large enough to cope with the growing congregation. Unfortunately, the church was closed so we were unable to see inside on this occasion. However, John and I have had a tour of the inside of the church on a previous occasion, and that too has a fascinating history.
Accessibility wise, the churchyard has smooth pathways to get around, however to get a good look at some of the items of historical interest, you do need to cross some grass. From memory, some parts of the inside of the church are difficult to access due to the age of the building.
If you have an interest in history, Stoke Minster is definitely worth a visit.
We made a visit to Stoke Minster, also known as St.Peter ad Vincula (St. Peter in chains) church. The church and churchyard have a fascinating history dating back to 670AD, when a wooden church was erected on the grounds. This was replaced by the first stone church in 805AD, with the remains of part of the stone Saxon cross still standing in the churchyard. The Saxon baptismal font can be found inside the church itself and is still in use today.
The arches from the 13th century chancel are also still standing and the grave of Josiah Wedgwood lies in front of them. Nearby, the remains of the original altar can also be found.
Wedgwood was not the only master potter to worship at the church, Josiah Spode was also a parishioner and his grave, along with his family members can also be found here.
The “modern” church that we see today was built in 1830, as the original church was no longer large enough to cope with the growing congregation. Unfortunately, the church was closed so we were unable to see inside on this occasion. However, John and I have had a tour of the inside of the church on a previous occasion, and that too has a fascinating history.
Accessibility wise, the churchyard has smooth pathways to get around, however to get a good look at some of the items of historical interest, you do need to cross some grass. From memory, some parts of the inside of the church are difficult to access due to the age of the building.
If you have an interest in history, Stoke Minster is definitely worth a visit.
Friday, 19 April 2019
Is The Camera Recording?
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We travelled up to the Lake District for a few days, during the first week of the Easter holidays, and stayed at the Coniston Park Coppice Caravan Club site. As the name suggests, it’s very close to Lake Coniston, so it was very picturesque.
When we arrived at the site, we requested a pitch near to the disabled shower room, for John and George. We got a pitch that was really close, however we didn’t feel that it was wheelchair disabled friendly. To get to the ramp up to the toilet block, you had to use a very stony road and when you reached the ramp, the ramp was a good 3cm or so above the stony road. Luckily for us, we were close enough so that George could walk there and not use his chair.
In common with the other Caravan Club site we have visited, we also found that it was not visually impaired friendly. John has made the suggestion that Caravan Club sites provide signs in Braille in the disabled bathrooms, so we shall see what happens with that.
We have a friend who lives up there, so we met up with him for dinner one night. We went to a lovely little pub in Coniston village, which allowed dogs in the dining room so Jasper came too, although he had to lie under the table. On our way back through the site, returning to the Opus, a deer ran across the road in front of us, we heard owls hooting through the night and squirrels were running around the next day, so there was plenty of wildlife!
Jasper saw sheep for the first time as well. I don’t think he quite knew what to make of them, as he tried to hide behind my legs! Obviously, he was on his lead as well, as having dogs running wild around sheep isn’t a good idea. When we reached the lake, Jasper went for a paddle in it. The water was lovely and clear, with swans on it and also a few boats.
We filmed some fabulous footage of the site where we were staying and also of the lake... well we thought we did. When we came to look at the video we’d thought we’d filmed, it turned out that we hadn’t filmed anything - whoops!
It’s a beautiful area to visit and we would definitely visit again.
We travelled up to the Lake District for a few days, during the first week of the Easter holidays, and stayed at the Coniston Park Coppice Caravan Club site. As the name suggests, it’s very close to Lake Coniston, so it was very picturesque.
When we arrived at the site, we requested a pitch near to the disabled shower room, for John and George. We got a pitch that was really close, however we didn’t feel that it was wheelchair disabled friendly. To get to the ramp up to the toilet block, you had to use a very stony road and when you reached the ramp, the ramp was a good 3cm or so above the stony road. Luckily for us, we were close enough so that George could walk there and not use his chair.
In common with the other Caravan Club site we have visited, we also found that it was not visually impaired friendly. John has made the suggestion that Caravan Club sites provide signs in Braille in the disabled bathrooms, so we shall see what happens with that.
We have a friend who lives up there, so we met up with him for dinner one night. We went to a lovely little pub in Coniston village, which allowed dogs in the dining room so Jasper came too, although he had to lie under the table. On our way back through the site, returning to the Opus, a deer ran across the road in front of us, we heard owls hooting through the night and squirrels were running around the next day, so there was plenty of wildlife!
Jasper saw sheep for the first time as well. I don’t think he quite knew what to make of them, as he tried to hide behind my legs! Obviously, he was on his lead as well, as having dogs running wild around sheep isn’t a good idea. When we reached the lake, Jasper went for a paddle in it. The water was lovely and clear, with swans on it and also a few boats.
We filmed some fabulous footage of the site where we were staying and also of the lake... well we thought we did. When we came to look at the video we’d thought we’d filmed, it turned out that we hadn’t filmed anything - whoops!
It’s a beautiful area to visit and we would definitely visit again.
Friday, 12 April 2019
Blackshaw Moor Caravan Club Site
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For our first trip in the Opus we went to Blackshaw Moor Caravan Club site. Blackshaw Moor itself is about 3 miles north of Leek in Staffordshire and about 10 miles south of the ancient spa town of Buxton in Derbyshire, and is on the edge of the Peak District National Park.
The site itself is next to the main A53 road, so if you have a pitch that’s near to the road you can get some road noise. We had a pitch that was fairly close to the main road but the noise didn’t bother us too much.
The wardens are really helpful and friendly. When we said that this was our first time, they were very willing to help in anyway that they could. They allocated us to a pitch that wasn’t too far from the disabled bathroom, so that was helpful for John and George.
Our neighbour on the next pitch to us told us that during the Second World War, the site had been used to hold Polish airmen. We saw some evidence of this on the dog trail walk around the campsite, as some of the ruins of the old houses they lived in are still there to be seen.
From the dog walk trail you can see the Winking Man or Winking Witch, as some people call it. This is a rock that has a hole in it, and as you drive past it, it appears to wink at you. There are also some fabulous walks in the local area, for those who are fit and able to do them.
Blackshaw Moor Caravan Club site has seasonal opening because the area is quite high above sea level, and it’s not unheard of for the roads to become impassable in the Winter time.
We really enjoyed our few days at Blackshaw Moor and would definitely visit again.
For our first trip in the Opus we went to Blackshaw Moor Caravan Club site. Blackshaw Moor itself is about 3 miles north of Leek in Staffordshire and about 10 miles south of the ancient spa town of Buxton in Derbyshire, and is on the edge of the Peak District National Park.
The site itself is next to the main A53 road, so if you have a pitch that’s near to the road you can get some road noise. We had a pitch that was fairly close to the main road but the noise didn’t bother us too much.
The wardens are really helpful and friendly. When we said that this was our first time, they were very willing to help in anyway that they could. They allocated us to a pitch that wasn’t too far from the disabled bathroom, so that was helpful for John and George.
Our neighbour on the next pitch to us told us that during the Second World War, the site had been used to hold Polish airmen. We saw some evidence of this on the dog trail walk around the campsite, as some of the ruins of the old houses they lived in are still there to be seen.
From the dog walk trail you can see the Winking Man or Winking Witch, as some people call it. This is a rock that has a hole in it, and as you drive past it, it appears to wink at you. There are also some fabulous walks in the local area, for those who are fit and able to do them.
Blackshaw Moor Caravan Club site has seasonal opening because the area is quite high above sea level, and it’s not unheard of for the roads to become impassable in the Winter time.
We really enjoyed our few days at Blackshaw Moor and would definitely visit again.
Friday, 5 April 2019
Our First Opus Experience
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Now that it’s Spring time, we decided to make our first trip in our Opus camper.
A few things went wrong - from not being able to connect the electrics to the car when hitching up, to not having enough room for John in the car, when the car was loaded up! We managed to resolve the issues, with a bit of help, and had an enjoyable first trip.
We didn’t put the awning up this time as we were getting used to putting the Opus up, but the plan is to do a tour of both the Opus and the awning, once we have both up together. This will probably be later in the year, when we’re away for longer than a few days.
It was an enjoyable trip and we’re looking forward to doing the next one.
Now that it’s Spring time, we decided to make our first trip in our Opus camper.
A few things went wrong - from not being able to connect the electrics to the car when hitching up, to not having enough room for John in the car, when the car was loaded up! We managed to resolve the issues, with a bit of help, and had an enjoyable first trip.
We didn’t put the awning up this time as we were getting used to putting the Opus up, but the plan is to do a tour of both the Opus and the awning, once we have both up together. This will probably be later in the year, when we’re away for longer than a few days.
It was an enjoyable trip and we’re looking forward to doing the next one.
Friday, 22 March 2019
An Apology
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This is really just an apology as things have been so hectic that there just hasn’t been the time to post, with all of the different things going on.
Hopefully, normal service will now be resumed!
Video below.
This is really just an apology as things have been so hectic that there just hasn’t been the time to post, with all of the different things going on.
Hopefully, normal service will now be resumed!
Video below.
Friday, 22 February 2019
Buses and Trains
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We went to Manchester for the day but, rather than drive, we decided to use public transport. We got a bus to the railway station and a train to Manchester.
It’s not possible to reserve wheelchair spaces on buses but it is something that you can do on a train. We have reserved wheelchair spaces on the train before and this involved having to make a phone call to purchase tickets and reserve the space. When we have done this in the past we’ve had mixed results. Sometimes it’s gone really well, and worked exactly as it should, and other times it’s gone badly. Two memorable occasions for me were when we were travelling home from London one time, and someone else (not a wheelchair user) had taken our reserved wheelchair space, refused to move and staff didn’t help either. The other time was travelling to Liverpool and no staff arrived with a ramp for the wheelchair. Fortunately George is able to walk short distances, so was able to get off the train, and I got his chair off, although it was difficult on my own. It would have been disastrous if George was unable to walk.
On this occasion we booked our train tickets online and didn’t call to reserve a wheelchair space. Sometimes you have to travel on the spur of the moment, so would be unable to book a space. We decided to do this, just to see how it went.
The video below tells you how we went on.
We went to Manchester for the day but, rather than drive, we decided to use public transport. We got a bus to the railway station and a train to Manchester.
It’s not possible to reserve wheelchair spaces on buses but it is something that you can do on a train. We have reserved wheelchair spaces on the train before and this involved having to make a phone call to purchase tickets and reserve the space. When we have done this in the past we’ve had mixed results. Sometimes it’s gone really well, and worked exactly as it should, and other times it’s gone badly. Two memorable occasions for me were when we were travelling home from London one time, and someone else (not a wheelchair user) had taken our reserved wheelchair space, refused to move and staff didn’t help either. The other time was travelling to Liverpool and no staff arrived with a ramp for the wheelchair. Fortunately George is able to walk short distances, so was able to get off the train, and I got his chair off, although it was difficult on my own. It would have been disastrous if George was unable to walk.
On this occasion we booked our train tickets online and didn’t call to reserve a wheelchair space. Sometimes you have to travel on the spur of the moment, so would be unable to book a space. We decided to do this, just to see how it went.
The video below tells you how we went on.
Friday, 15 February 2019
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and George
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It’s a bit of a longer video today, where I’m talking about George and his diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). It is quite difficult to get a diagnosis of EDS as not many doctors know much about it at all, and some even deny its existence. I’d never heard of it until about a year before George was diagnosed with it and there’s still so much to do to raise awareness of it. I’m not an expert, and I don’t pretend to be, but I try and explain what EDS is. I’ll also explain why George’s chair is such a godsend to all of us.
It was quite the journey to get the diagnosis as I had 10 years of being fobbed off with, “He’ll grow out of it.” In the video I mostly talk about how EDS affects his legs but it doesn’t just affect his legs. It affects his ability to write properly ,as he is unable to hold a pen properly and writing causes him pain. He does some handwriting at school, but mostly he uses a laptop to produce his work, which is then printed out. It also affects him in a number of other ways and I’ll mention some, but not all, of those below as I don’t want this blog to become a great long essay.
As seems to be typical with a lot of people with EDS, George has soft, velvety skin that bruises easily, and he has stretch marks down his back and on his legs. He also has digestive problems, which are exacerbated by the cold.
A common co-morbid condition that goes with EDS is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which is something George was also diagnosed with when he was diagnosed with EDS. Fortunately, so far, it hasn’t caused any major problems for George, although it has caused some alarm on occasions at school.
George has a “shopping list” of issues but the ones that cause the most problems for him, given in the order of diagnosis, are dyspraxia, autism and EDS. However, his disabilities and diagnoses do not define him. He is a wonderful kind, caring and loving boy, and is a joy to be around.
It’s a bit of a longer video today, where I’m talking about George and his diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). It is quite difficult to get a diagnosis of EDS as not many doctors know much about it at all, and some even deny its existence. I’d never heard of it until about a year before George was diagnosed with it and there’s still so much to do to raise awareness of it. I’m not an expert, and I don’t pretend to be, but I try and explain what EDS is. I’ll also explain why George’s chair is such a godsend to all of us.
It was quite the journey to get the diagnosis as I had 10 years of being fobbed off with, “He’ll grow out of it.” In the video I mostly talk about how EDS affects his legs but it doesn’t just affect his legs. It affects his ability to write properly ,as he is unable to hold a pen properly and writing causes him pain. He does some handwriting at school, but mostly he uses a laptop to produce his work, which is then printed out. It also affects him in a number of other ways and I’ll mention some, but not all, of those below as I don’t want this blog to become a great long essay.
As seems to be typical with a lot of people with EDS, George has soft, velvety skin that bruises easily, and he has stretch marks down his back and on his legs. He also has digestive problems, which are exacerbated by the cold.
A common co-morbid condition that goes with EDS is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which is something George was also diagnosed with when he was diagnosed with EDS. Fortunately, so far, it hasn’t caused any major problems for George, although it has caused some alarm on occasions at school.
George has a “shopping list” of issues but the ones that cause the most problems for him, given in the order of diagnosis, are dyspraxia, autism and EDS. However, his disabilities and diagnoses do not define him. He is a wonderful kind, caring and loving boy, and is a joy to be around.
Friday, 8 February 2019
West Midland Safari Park
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We had a fabulous day at West Midland Safari Park.
It is essentially in three sections - there is the safari trail, that takes about an hour to drive yourself around; there is a section where you can view other animals, such as penguins, reptiles, birds, bats etc and the animatronic Ice Age and dinosaur parts, where you walk around and view them; and finally a theme park section, which was closed for the season when we visited. When the theme park section is open, there is an additional charge to go on the rides.
You pay to get in at booths, which look a bit like toll booths. If you have a blue disabled parking badge, a carer can get in for free. It’s here that you can also buy guide books and animal food, if you wish to feed some of the animals while driving around on the safari trail. It is clearly stated which animals you are allowed to feed as you drive around.
After you have paid you have a choice of either driving around the safari trail or parking up and walking to see the other animals, or going to the theme park section.
We chose to park up and go and view the other animals first. It’s here, in the car park, that there’s a toilet block that contains a Changing Places toilet, which was fantastic to see and really makes the safari park accessible to everyone.
We looked at penguins, reptiles, bats, birds, and the animatronic sections. In the dinosaur section we encountered a “Georgasaurous” dinosaur with a loud roar, which was following us around! 🙂 The animatronics are really good and give a good idea of what the animals were like during the times of the dinosaurs and the Ice Age.
We also saw the sea lion show, which was informative as well as entertaining, with an ecological message in there too.
After our lunch we went for a drive around the safari trail. We’d purchased some food for the animals, which they couldn’t seem to get enough of! The car was a bit dirty and the animals seemed to like that too, as they were licking the car! When we left we had cattle, deer, camel and zebra slobber down the side of the car!
If you do feed the animals while on the safari trail, I would recommend that you have some wipes/antibacterial gel in the car to clean your hands, until you can wash them properly.
All in all, it was a really enjoyable day and we’d definitely visit again.
We had a fabulous day at West Midland Safari Park.
It is essentially in three sections - there is the safari trail, that takes about an hour to drive yourself around; there is a section where you can view other animals, such as penguins, reptiles, birds, bats etc and the animatronic Ice Age and dinosaur parts, where you walk around and view them; and finally a theme park section, which was closed for the season when we visited. When the theme park section is open, there is an additional charge to go on the rides.
You pay to get in at booths, which look a bit like toll booths. If you have a blue disabled parking badge, a carer can get in for free. It’s here that you can also buy guide books and animal food, if you wish to feed some of the animals while driving around on the safari trail. It is clearly stated which animals you are allowed to feed as you drive around.
After you have paid you have a choice of either driving around the safari trail or parking up and walking to see the other animals, or going to the theme park section.
We chose to park up and go and view the other animals first. It’s here, in the car park, that there’s a toilet block that contains a Changing Places toilet, which was fantastic to see and really makes the safari park accessible to everyone.
We looked at penguins, reptiles, bats, birds, and the animatronic sections. In the dinosaur section we encountered a “Georgasaurous” dinosaur with a loud roar, which was following us around! 🙂 The animatronics are really good and give a good idea of what the animals were like during the times of the dinosaurs and the Ice Age.
We also saw the sea lion show, which was informative as well as entertaining, with an ecological message in there too.
After our lunch we went for a drive around the safari trail. We’d purchased some food for the animals, which they couldn’t seem to get enough of! The car was a bit dirty and the animals seemed to like that too, as they were licking the car! When we left we had cattle, deer, camel and zebra slobber down the side of the car!
If you do feed the animals while on the safari trail, I would recommend that you have some wipes/antibacterial gel in the car to clean your hands, until you can wash them properly.
All in all, it was a really enjoyable day and we’d definitely visit again.
Friday, 1 February 2019
Assistive Technology for Visually Impaired People
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We’ve been looking at some of the assistive technology available for visually impaired people, that John uses on a fairly regular basis. In the last week, there’s been a picture circulating on social media that shows a woman with a white cane using a mobile phone. It’s been circulated as people have been questioning whether or not the woman is actually blind. We found this quite sad to see and believe that people need educating about the technology that is available to aid visually impaired people in their every day lives. A lot of this technology is available as apps on mobile phones.
In the video below we have a brief chat about e-readers, using a computer and some of the apps that John uses on his phone. We hope that you find it useful and informative.
We’ve been looking at some of the assistive technology available for visually impaired people, that John uses on a fairly regular basis. In the last week, there’s been a picture circulating on social media that shows a woman with a white cane using a mobile phone. It’s been circulated as people have been questioning whether or not the woman is actually blind. We found this quite sad to see and believe that people need educating about the technology that is available to aid visually impaired people in their every day lives. A lot of this technology is available as apps on mobile phones.
In the video below we have a brief chat about e-readers, using a computer and some of the apps that John uses on his phone. We hope that you find it useful and informative.
Friday, 25 January 2019
The Beatles Story
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We visited The Beatles Story, located at the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool. As you can probably tell from the name, this is a museum about The Beatles.
The museum itself is located down some stairs. However, there is a small lift available for wheelchair users to use. It is one of those small lifts that will fit one wheelchair and you have to hold a button down to get to the floor you wish to go to. If you use a motorised scooter, it will not fit in the lift but the website does suggest that you get in touch with them if you do use a scooter.
There are concessionary prices for disabled people to get in and carers go for free. After you have paid, you are supplied with an audio guidebook. The guidebook is full of interesting information about the exhibits that you are looking at but, unfortunately, it has a touchscreen to operate it, so if you are visually impaired you may have difficulty in seeing the touchscreen to operate the guidebook. As John has no vision at all, he was unable to use the guidebook by himself. Another issue that John had was that with his hearing loss, he had difficulty in hearing what the guidebook was saying, and was relying on me to both operate the guidebook and tell him what it was saying.
The museum is laid out so that it goes in chronological order from The Beatles’ early beginnings and rise to fame, to what individual band members did after The Beatles split.
I found it really enjoyable and interesting, and would definitely visit again. However, John isn’t sure that he would want to as I don’t think he got as much out of the visit as I did.
The video is below.
We visited The Beatles Story, located at the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool. As you can probably tell from the name, this is a museum about The Beatles.
The museum itself is located down some stairs. However, there is a small lift available for wheelchair users to use. It is one of those small lifts that will fit one wheelchair and you have to hold a button down to get to the floor you wish to go to. If you use a motorised scooter, it will not fit in the lift but the website does suggest that you get in touch with them if you do use a scooter.
There are concessionary prices for disabled people to get in and carers go for free. After you have paid, you are supplied with an audio guidebook. The guidebook is full of interesting information about the exhibits that you are looking at but, unfortunately, it has a touchscreen to operate it, so if you are visually impaired you may have difficulty in seeing the touchscreen to operate the guidebook. As John has no vision at all, he was unable to use the guidebook by himself. Another issue that John had was that with his hearing loss, he had difficulty in hearing what the guidebook was saying, and was relying on me to both operate the guidebook and tell him what it was saying.
The museum is laid out so that it goes in chronological order from The Beatles’ early beginnings and rise to fame, to what individual band members did after The Beatles split.
I found it really enjoyable and interesting, and would definitely visit again. However, John isn’t sure that he would want to as I don’t think he got as much out of the visit as I did.
The video is below.
Friday, 18 January 2019
National Space Centre
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On this visit we went to the National Space Centre in Leicester (pronounced ‘Lester’ for readers outside of the UK)
Accessibility is good and carers can go in free, while disabled visitors pay a concessionary rate. There is also the option to have your tickets upgraded to an annual pass, for no additional charge. There is a charge for parking, which I believe has been introduced relatively recently, judging by the reactions of other visitors on the car park.
There is plenty to see and do, and there’s even a box of costumes for children to dress up in and return when they’ve finished playing. The show in the Planetarium was both fun and educational to watch, and there is a loop system there for hearing aid users.
George and I had a go in the Weather Pod. This is an area where you pretend to be a weather forecaster from the future. There is a green screen behind you and a camera with autocue in front, so you know what to say! George didn’t read any of the autocue because he was worried about keeping up with it. I read the autocue too quickly, so I had to keep stopping to wait for it to catch up! Maybe next time we can strike that happy medium!
Unfortunately, we had camera problems on the day and we didn’t get to film everything - for example the items, such as upright rockets, on display in the very strangely shaped tower there.
We did have an enjoyable day though and we would visit again.
On this visit we went to the National Space Centre in Leicester (pronounced ‘Lester’ for readers outside of the UK)
Accessibility is good and carers can go in free, while disabled visitors pay a concessionary rate. There is also the option to have your tickets upgraded to an annual pass, for no additional charge. There is a charge for parking, which I believe has been introduced relatively recently, judging by the reactions of other visitors on the car park.
There is plenty to see and do, and there’s even a box of costumes for children to dress up in and return when they’ve finished playing. The show in the Planetarium was both fun and educational to watch, and there is a loop system there for hearing aid users.
George and I had a go in the Weather Pod. This is an area where you pretend to be a weather forecaster from the future. There is a green screen behind you and a camera with autocue in front, so you know what to say! George didn’t read any of the autocue because he was worried about keeping up with it. I read the autocue too quickly, so I had to keep stopping to wait for it to catch up! Maybe next time we can strike that happy medium!
Unfortunately, we had camera problems on the day and we didn’t get to film everything - for example the items, such as upright rockets, on display in the very strangely shaped tower there.
We did have an enjoyable day though and we would visit again.
Friday, 11 January 2019
National Brewery Centre
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We visited the National Brewery Centre in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. It was a very interesting visit as we learned about brewing through the ages. We discovered that the actual brewing process hasn’t really changed over the years, just the scale of the process has changed. I have to wonder about the relationship between making a cup of tea and making beer though. Some people refer to making a cup of tea as ‘making a brew’ and beer is brewed. Also during the beer brewing process, the beer is allowed to ‘mash’ or ‘steep’, which are also terms used in making a cup of tea.
We also looked at the different ways of transporting the beer to pubs. We met a beautiful shire horse called Jed, who became John’s new best friend, and saw some of the dreys that shire horses like Jed, would have pulled to deliver the beer. There was also a collection of old trucks that were used for deliveries, including some that looked quite novel as they were in the shape of a beer barrel and a beer bottle!
When you pay your entrance fee to go into the centre, you are given three tokens that allow you to sample the beer. One token gets you a third of a pint, two gets you half a pint and three gives you a pint. This allows to sample up to three different types of beer, should you want to. For under 18s, their tokens allow them to get a soft drink. I didn’t pay an entrance fee as I went in as a carer, so I didn’t get any tokens. I didn’t mind because I don’t like the taste of beer and I don’t really drink anyway.
We found it to be accessible, although there were some exhibits George couldn’t see because they weren’t wheelchair accessible. The staff were helpful and friendly too. We’d definitely visit again.
The video is below.
We visited the National Brewery Centre in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. It was a very interesting visit as we learned about brewing through the ages. We discovered that the actual brewing process hasn’t really changed over the years, just the scale of the process has changed. I have to wonder about the relationship between making a cup of tea and making beer though. Some people refer to making a cup of tea as ‘making a brew’ and beer is brewed. Also during the beer brewing process, the beer is allowed to ‘mash’ or ‘steep’, which are also terms used in making a cup of tea.
We also looked at the different ways of transporting the beer to pubs. We met a beautiful shire horse called Jed, who became John’s new best friend, and saw some of the dreys that shire horses like Jed, would have pulled to deliver the beer. There was also a collection of old trucks that were used for deliveries, including some that looked quite novel as they were in the shape of a beer barrel and a beer bottle!
When you pay your entrance fee to go into the centre, you are given three tokens that allow you to sample the beer. One token gets you a third of a pint, two gets you half a pint and three gives you a pint. This allows to sample up to three different types of beer, should you want to. For under 18s, their tokens allow them to get a soft drink. I didn’t pay an entrance fee as I went in as a carer, so I didn’t get any tokens. I didn’t mind because I don’t like the taste of beer and I don’t really drink anyway.
We found it to be accessible, although there were some exhibits George couldn’t see because they weren’t wheelchair accessible. The staff were helpful and friendly too. We’d definitely visit again.
The video is below.
Friday, 4 January 2019
Jodrell Bank
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We visited Jodrell Bank one Saturday morning during term-time. We found this to be a fairly quiet time to visit, which was great because it gave George the confidence to go ahead of John and me, and have a look around.
The gardens were interesting to look at - particularly the Galaxy Garden, which was an interesting way of demonstrating the formation of the universe.
There are plenty of hands on activities to do, which meant John was able to take part and not just be told about what I was seeing.
We had lunch in the cafe there before we left. The prices for reasonable, and the staff in there were really helpful and helped carry our food to a table.
Overall it was an enjoyable visit and we found Jodrell Bank itself to be very accessible. We would visit again.
We visited Jodrell Bank one Saturday morning during term-time. We found this to be a fairly quiet time to visit, which was great because it gave George the confidence to go ahead of John and me, and have a look around.
The gardens were interesting to look at - particularly the Galaxy Garden, which was an interesting way of demonstrating the formation of the universe.
There are plenty of hands on activities to do, which meant John was able to take part and not just be told about what I was seeing.
We had lunch in the cafe there before we left. The prices for reasonable, and the staff in there were really helpful and helped carry our food to a table.
Overall it was an enjoyable visit and we found Jodrell Bank itself to be very accessible. We would visit again.
Tuesday, 1 January 2019
Happy New Year!
A really short blog today to wish you all a very Happy New Year and a wonderful 2019. Thank you for the support you’ve given during the five months our YouTube channel has been going, and we hope you continue to enjoy our videos in 2019.
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