Challenge 35

I have been going to my local MS Therapy Centre for 22 years, this year they are celebrating their 35th Birthday. Due to the Pandemic we have not been able to have a 35th Birthday Fundraiser and party, so like many other charities the Chilterns MS Centre have gone online and are holding a virtual Challange called Challenge 35, individuals have been asked to invent their own challenge but it must include the number 35. I decided to roll 35 miles in 35 different places. As my walks/rolls have gone on I have clocked up more then 35 miles and have had quite a few adventures along the way! As I write this I have completed 27 walks so have just 7 more to go. 

It’s all change

It’s been a long time since I last posted, back in 2017 I had a major relapse and it’s only been in the last few months that I have felt anywhere near normal! I have decided not to concentrate on accesible toilets but to write about the in’s and out’s of my daily life living with MS. I hope people will find it interesting if not amusing. Almost a year ago my Social Worker arranged for me to have a Personal Assistant (PA) four times a week so that my husband could go back out to work and I had someone with me for eight hours a day. Unfortunately following my relapse I have lost the use of my hands and arms so I am not safe to be left alone, to look at me you wouldn’t know, in fact my friends tell me I’m looking really well! It’s my care company that suggested I brought this Blog back to life.  So that’s my background, let see how it goes over the next few weeks. Below is a picture of me when one of my PAs took me out for the day.

Tesco Aylesbury Extra - Broadfields

Update!

What a lovely surprise to go into Tesco Extra Aylesbury and find that they have received a makeover. Really fresh, the walls are covered in a large piece of laminate which of course is wipe clean and so hygienic. The flooring is large grey tiles a huge improvement well done Tesco. - Thank you x

John Lewis - Leicester

 

A visit to Leiscester for a university interview for our daughter.

So a look round the city centre. First stop John Lewis - it's HUGE - so we stayed there!

As I have come to expect from JL - good size and nice and clean.

The Grouse and Ale

An evening out for my mother-in-law is 85th birthday spent in the lovely surroundings of the Grouse and Ale.

This was the first time I had been to a different pub since being fitted with a catheter. 

I lovingly referred to my leg bag as my Gucci bag, and like with most Gucci bags they are not oversized and the contents does need disposing of fairly regularly!

My visits to the Loo make me view what's available in a different light. Bellow are picture of what I found last night.

All in all, not only was the pub severing fine food and had excellent staff, but the Loo itself was accessible in the true sense, ie it had no additional items being stored! 

If you are ever passing Lane End I believe this is a must stop! 

Strada - Henley on Thames Oxfordshire

We reached the end of our Uni's R Us tour having visited 11 universities in readiness for our daughter next year.. Next week is also my husbands birthday so we thought on our way home we would treat ourselves.

We chose Strada as it was on the way home and has a good reputation.

The loos were great and since writing my last blog things have changed for me as I am now catheterised and I no longer need to transfer unless of course I need a number two!!

The restaurant also accommodated my wish of cutting my food up prior to it being served.

All round it was a fab experience no clutter in the Loo and great helpful staff.

5 star service and facilities.

Marquis of Cornwallis, Marchmont Street WC1N 1AP

A Fellow MSer!

It makes me very happy when I get a notification via twitter that a fellow MSer has sent me a picture of an accessible loo for me to add to my blog and that is exactly what happened this week!

The message read

@mumdean Found good pub with good disabled access loo Marquis of Cornwallis, Marchmont Street WC1N 1AP

 

The message was sent by Patrick Burke (@aid4disabled) who is a Professional speaker on Multiple sclerosis. He has SPMS (Secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis) and wants to improve lives of other sufferers. Website http://aid4disabled.com . help progressive disabilities. Check out his website and follow Patrick on Twitter he is one knowledgeable guy. Lets all work together raising awareness.

                           

Prezzo - New Oxford Street and Aldwych Theatre

Prezzo

Our first stop on Saturday was to Prezzo where 9 of us sat down for a bite to eat before going off to the theatre.

The food was great but the loo area for me was not big enough. I now need to visit the loo with my carer who is able to help me stand to transfer so room for two is required!

Anyway see for yourself:-

  

The room was to small to take a full photo! x

Aldwych Theatre

A great place to go!

The front of  house staff could not have been more accommodating.

We went to see the Carol King musical - Beautiful, it was amazing - a great afternoon.

There is only one accessible loo in the theatre which can be a slight draw back if all the wheelchair spaces are being used and I suppose matters are not helped if people like me are taking photos!

The space was great an for me as usual with a standing transfer have the vertical bars really helped.

Anyway here are s few photo's

  

A great day  out!

  

'Wot no loos'?

The Mobility Road Show

It really has been a while since writing my last post - to be honest I thought people were not interested in my postings and perhaps I should find something else to utilise my time with. However yesterday we visited the Mobility Road Show at Donnington Park. We love going to the show as there is always some gem of information we come away with. In fact it was on our way to a Mobility Road Show that the Accessible bog Blog was born.

This year we were not looking to test drive a car but to seek out information on holidays etc. On Thursday evening I received a message from someone who used to attend the Chilterns MS Centre before they moved away, the message went like this

Hi Julie. Mike and I have just returned from the Mobility Show at Donnington and met someone who has a website called viewopendoors and wonder if you have come across it. It is a site which is for disabled people to let them know where to shop, eat, stay and spend leisure time. You might find it a site that is useful to add to your own blog or you might want to tell them about what you have done. Hopefully this is useful news for you. Trust all is well with you and everyone at the centre and trust you had a good lunch today with former colleagues. Sally

I love being able to keep in touch with past members of the centre and I love even more the sharing of information. I had never heard of this site and certainly I was going to make myself known to them. When we arrived we headed for the stand and that is where I met Bob Menzies the owner of the website www.viewopendoors.co.uk. Great guy, great story please check out his website.

Before the weekend I was aware that the MS Centre I attend was taking over the twitter account for shiftms and I had agreed to 'tweet' from the MRS, well I just couldn't resist taking the CMSC Bear - you can find him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cmscbear he is a great 'icebreaker' and gets everyone talking. We had been invited to stand 68 where we met 'Tedwood' from the Wheelchair Dancing Sports Association (UK) https://www.facebook.com/WDSAUK and this gave me a chance to learn more about the WDSA whilst our two bears made friends!

Next we were onto finding out about a new initiative called Flat Spaces www.flatspaces.co.uk

please check out their web site looks like a great place to stay the guy who founded it is also part of  www.mfpa.co.uk

Then it was onto see Mike from http://www.trekinetic.com/ this is where four years ago I purchased my purple bomb really known as Trekinetic K2 it has changed my life in the things I  can do.

  

I couldn't resist seeing popping to see https://www.facebook.com/pages/Medicotech-Ltd, we use their bikes at the centre and would love to be able to get funding for the the mechanical standing frame!

Yesterday has left me feeling empowered - there are solutions to problems and people out there who can help - my advice is to give a little and you will get back a lot - it doesn't need to all be about money.

love Julie

Marlow Higginson Park - Bucks

We love going for family walks through the park and down by the river. All seems to have recovered following last years floods.

The public loos in the park are well maintained.

Only thing that is very disappointing us the bin is in the way to be able to do a sliding transfer.

Caterham - Surrey

 

Used the public loos attached to the multi storey car park .

They were quite adequate for a quick wee!!

Milton Keynes-Centre

Popped to the sales at the beginning of the year so a certain person could spend her Christmas money!!

Of course the inevitable happened and a trip to the loo was required!

M

 

Nice and clean and even had bottles - well done MK!!

The Management Suite - Cambridge Street Retail Park Aylesbury

I

Well my phone is filling up with loos - what people would think if they found and viewed my phone!!

The accessible loos in the shops (such as  Hobbycraft and Wicks) on this retail park have been taken out, however in between Frankie and Bennys and Subways there is a managent suite which is open when the shops are open and on the first floor are the loos. 

I have always been amazed by how many loos I visit insist on filling up the transfer space with the bins.

Rant of the day: REMEMBER THEY ARE CALLED ACCESSIBLE FOR A REASON

Chilterns Crematorium

You can be assured

Sadly I had the reason to go to Chilterns Crematorium recently.

http://www.chilternscrematorium.co.uk/

I won't say much apart from the need to visit and the nature of the occasion is by no means an easy one, but I have to say that it's difficulty is NOT added to by having to cope with less than ideal facilities. 

They were clean and bright and for me a vertical grab rail is essential.

The Shard

Wow!!

Well I think this one beats it all - A loo with a view!
A friend of mine went to visit the Shard during the summer
http://www.the-shard.com/

He said to me:

68 floors up the Shard.
Not a bad view eh?Very clean, big wide door that opens both ways and plenty of room.The tour staff are also excellent the whole way through.

Longridge Activity Centre, Marlow, Bucks

Very impressed when we went to Marlow FM to do a radio interview at their base. Of course I needed the loo and was really  pleased to use such an large accessible loo in a activity Centre 

.

I'll come again!!