Be there gold in them their Preseli Mountains?

Take 4 ladies of varying nationalities, each with their own unique cultures and origins,

2 children,

2 cars,

1 wheelchair,

1 walking frame,

3 walking sticks,

and a smattering of health and disability issues.

Put them together in a log cabin in the wilds of Pembrokeshire, Wales and you are bound to have an interesting holiday!

Day 1 and after a drive from Lancashire for one car and another from Milton Keynes we were so happy to be greeted by the friendliest staff at the reception gates.

In no time we were checked in and directed to our cabin at 43 Preseli View.

We’re in a lovely four bedroom cabin with 3 big bathrooms, open plan living, dining and kitchen and a nice big entrance that acts as a mud room where we can store all the shoes, coats and mobility equipment.

After unloading all our stuff Using our trolley to help with the load and fewer trips, I headed off to find out how I could move my car off site and then get back to the cabin. When I was told that because I’m disabled and have a blue badge I could keep and use my car on the site I was overjoyed because you should see the hill we are staying on!

The choice of bedrooms was between a twin downstairs and 3 bedrooms upstairs so that was an easy one because the South African wheelchair lady and the Iranian knee replacement lady both don’t do stairs, AND there is a lovely big bathroom next door; one that I can get my wheelchair or my walker into.

An early night was definitely in order and the impeccably clean white linen was calling very loudly by this point.

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Wandering in Wales…..

A good story needs a good opening lines doesn’t it? So,….

An Englishwoman, an Irishwoman, an Iranianwoman and a South African woman descend on a resort in Wales.

What could possibly happen? Keep coming back over the next few days and you may find a few stories to entertain and inform.

Read Full Post »

Trekinetic mucking about on boat….

On those rare occasions that my human leaves me to sit in another location, there is nothing nicer than mucking about on boats!  I thoroughly enjoyed the views across the Saar river in Saarland, Germany on my latest boat trip…..

Trekinetic wheelchairs are all about adventure!

Read Full Post »

Trekinetic in the wild….

When left to its own devices, the Trekinetic K2 loves to be out in the wild camping. Here we see how well prepared and organised it’s campsite is. Enjoying a bit of German sunshine without human interference….

…..those precious moments when you’re not being pushed around!

Read Full Post »

How much is too much for freedom?

It occurred to me whilst chatting to someone recently that the price of disabled products seem unfairly high considering their necessity to some people.  Take for example a simple vinyl sign for my car window to politely request people leave sufficient space for my wheelchair ramp – £7; or a roof box a friend recently purchased for his wheelchair (which is constantly breaking down) – £5000!; or a wheelchair ramp which comprises a bit of aluminium, steel safety rope and a small motor – £3000; and the motorised indoor office chair which allows me access to cupboards and printers – £6.500!

This was the dilemma we faced when deciding whether to buy my Trekinetic K2 a few years ago.  On paper the price was high – not for this particular chair because most chairs with similar features will cost this or more – but when we sat and considered the freedom this remarkable wheelchair would provide…. ‘legs’ to get to places other wheelchairs can’t, then the price becomes far less significant.  Mind you, I only really realised how much it was worth once I had experienced the seaside, the river, the mountain, the lake and all sorts of other adventures for the first time in five years.

So despite the fact that mobility products are probably over priced, it depends on how much you value your freedom to explore.  I could stay in a cheap, ugly, old-fashioned wheelchair which works fine in the mall or any other smooth surfaced area, but these will definitely NOT offer me the adventures I have enjoyed over the years.

And then you get some amazing people out there who work tirelessly to make this sort of freedom possible for someone who does not have the financial means….

Take for example this amazing tweet that landed up on my desktop thanks to Bear Grylls and the Scout movement….

https://twitter.com/hashtag/scoutingforall?src=hash

Thanks to their amazing work this little boy will get to be part of a team and not be left out – priceless I’d say!

Read Full Post »

A BIG welcome to…..

Michelle and her sister who have just launched their brand new website as a distributorship for Trekinetic.  I wish them all the best for a long and successful career making lives easier and more enjoyable for every new Trekinetic owner.

www.beyondtheboundarywheelchairs.com

Read Full Post »

An olympic adventure…..

Our Olympic adventure started with days, and days on the internet and phone trying to get some tickets! I must say that it was definitely worth the effort because we eventually headed off to London for theday to visit the Olympic park followed by the afternoon session in Greenwich Park to watch the equestrian events. An amazing day out and as an event organiser and project manager I was very impressed by the way it was all handled.

    

Read Full Post »

Extra vooma in your wiele…..

For the non-South Africans wiele translates as wheels (sounds like veela). This old SA saying is certainly very apt for the amazing new wheelchair on the block. Mike and his team at Trekinetic have done an incredible job creating a motorised version of the K2 without losing any of it’s rugged charm. Here is a preview of it but please go to the website for a full rundown…..

I could seriously do with one of these at the moment – the elbow is no better and I really hate having to ask for help getting around! But never mind, I am lucky enough to have a K2 and would be lost without it.
Next trip is in April when we go around South Africa and with luck and good Physio the arm and the chair will be ready for some extreme off-roading – perhaps I should order some spare parts – just in case!

Read Full Post »

Out and about in the Charante….

Angouleme is the closest big city to the Chateau so this was our first port of call when we eventually made a move off the property.  Quite frankly we all felt that just being in the grounds and surrounding area would have been enough but we had money to spend and a hankering for some good local meringues, cheese and wine – in that order – for me only; I think all the rest of the family would have reversed the order!

It turned out to be a lovely town with plenty of place to park and shop.  I made sure to do some research before we left to find out about disabled parking in France and I was very pleased we had because we had to print the instructions in French and display these alongside my blue badge.  You do however have to pay for parking even though they have designated disabled bays.  Amazingly, in the two weeks we were in France and travelling all over the region, I never once saw a car without a blue badge parked in the disabled bays – even when town was really busy and these were the only ones empty!!  Now that was a pleasant surprise, especially coming from the UK where the usual is getting wound up every time we go out.

The Trekinetic K-2 performed like a star, even on the cobbled streets and narrow sidewalks.  I cannot remember enjoying myself out in a town so much – the freedom to come and go is wonderful after being confined to smooth roads and shopping malls for so long.  Ooh la la; the looks we get wherever we go… and in case you didn’t know (I certainly didn’t), a wheelchair in French is – en fauteuil roulant.   As my husband says, they even manage to make a waste tip sound exotic – dechetterie!

Read Full Post »

Decision time!

I decided that in order to make an informed decision on when and where I would use my K-2 rather than my standard chair, I would use it exclusively for a week so that I could compare the performance and differences between the two.

The first day in the office was quite an event. We caused quite a stir and everyone wanted to see and quiz me. This chair definitely turns heads and at one stage it was suggested that I may need a code on our time tracking system so that I could log how much time I spent explaining the amazing features on the K-2!

After the end of the first week I went back into my traditional chair for one day. I was now in a better position to decide on the pro’s and con’s of each chair. It didn’t take more than a few minutes to realise how much more manoeuvrable the K-2 is.  I love it so much that I rarely use my Otto Bock wheelchair.

I am lucky enough to have a big car so I could use my Trekinetic without needing to fold it for transport. It fits in the boot of my 7 seater together with my old chair folded next to it – I was not yet confident enough to give up on my old chair so continued to carry it around for a few days just in case – of what I am not sure! Anyway, a few days later and it is now assigned to the house as my home chair. Out with the old and in with the new – don’t they say “nothing ventured, nothing gained”?

Read Full Post »

At last – our first adventure

5pm and we are off for our inaugural ramble! Armed with new K-2, energy drink, fleeces, camera and plenty of enthusiasm (oh, did I mention the not so great weather?).

Our destination, Southport beach, with a car park surface that might have been laid back in the 60’s and is now more like the lunar surface. The first time we decided on this walk we didn’t even manage to get out of the car park – definitely not wheelchair friendly.

 

 Hooray! Our first goal achieved – out of the car park and onto the trail. Getting used to the unusual steering meant that I was all over the place at first, but the good thing is that wherever I unintentionally steered, I could get myself out of without my husbands muscle power. This independence lark could get addictive. With our sights firmly set on attaining the waters edge, we set off .

Now, if you know Southport you will realise that this can be no mean feat because the tide only seems to come in every few years and the rest of the time can be miles away. Apart from this we forged ahead and in no time were getting excellent practice over stones, mud, sand, grass and a mix of them all. Not being used to going off road it soon became apparent that I would need to be patient with myself and build up my strength. Pushing yourself around a shopping mall and a beach are entirely different matters. This did however give my hubby a chance to see how easy it was to push and before we knew it we had gone about a mile with the sea still just a distant glimmer! At this point we noticed we were the only people on the beach and rather than become the next headline on the North West news – I could imagine it – “Women in wheelchair rescued from incoming tide”, we decided to turn back and try reaching the beach another day when we had a tidal report.

 All in all, it was an amazing first trip. We tried and conquered a number of different terrains and at the same time got the confidence to go on to bigger and better things.

Tired but happy we returned home to hose off my K-2 ready for the next adventure.

Read Full Post »