I really shouldn't complain though, as I had a very enjoyable time in London and then Glasgow, with the Travelodges only really being used as a wash and sleep stop. And besides, if I really wanted to complain about something (and it would seem that I do!), then I'd just have to bring up the potholed minefield that is Glasgow's roads and pavements. Good luck navigating those in a chair!
On the plus side however, I surprised even myself when down in London, by being able to navigate my way from one part of the city to another using a combination of buses, trains and tubes, all without a single screw up. This may not seem like an overly impressive feat, but bear in mind that I hadn't been to London since I was a child and my sense of direction is so bad that I practically need a satnav to find my way around the flat I live in! It has to be said though, as a wheelchaired chap, the London buses were fairly epic. When one pulls up, you signal to the driver that you want to get on and he waves you towards the back of the bus where the secondary entrance/exit is. They then push a button and a ramp slides out from the doorway to the pavement, and you roll straight on! Granted I think I've only used a bus on one other occasion since the accident so this ingenious invention may be more widespread than just London, but even so: Mind. Blown. And did I mention that in London, buses are free for wheelchair users?? Is this common practice throughout the UK?! I've lived a sheltered life if so! And as far as spaccessibility on The Underground goes, I'm going to make a sweeping generalisation here and say that, as long as you stick to the Jubilee Line you should more often than not be fine. Any other line however and you're on your own!
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| The London Underground pocket map, for when you've grown bored of cracking the enigma code |
Right, I've once again wandered off track and got lost in my own waffling. As I said at the end of my last post, I want to spend a bit of time talking about Active Hands, how they link to this blog and what made me start writing a blog in the first place, and like a Hercule Poirot case, you'll soon see that all the events link together...
Pretty much ever since the injury, people have been saying I should start a blog. Not masses of people (my ego isn't that big), just a few people every now and then, doubtless tired of me ranting at them about whatever's on my mind that day and desperately seeking a way of helping me channel my nonsensical ramblings elsewhere. It always sounded pretty appealing, but I always seemed to find a reason not to, whether it be I felt too busy at that time, I wasn't sure how to get started, or I just plain didn't think anyone would want to read what I had to say (jury's still out on that)! I did, for a time, do some wee film reviews on Facebook, films being one of my main interests. I called it The Crip Review, and I'd rate the film I'd just seen from 1-5 Wheelchairs (cos, you know, I'm disabled, what else am I going to rate it in, stars?! Pah!). I did quite enjoy doing that and it gave me an outlet for some of my creativity in a way but in the end I think I felt a bit silly/arrogant, bombarding people on Facebook with my personal film reviews. And I think it's safe to say that Mark Kermode wasn't feeling overly threatened by me!
So yeah, I did my little film reviews and continued making excuses when anyone mentioned blogging, up until this year that is. That's when I got an email from a guy I used to play wheelchair rugby with and who now represents GB in track racing, Rob Smith. As well as competing all over the world in track, Rob is also the founder of Active Hands, a gripping aids company that pretty much every quadriplegic in the UK will have heard of and purchased from at some point. Rob was interested in me doing a blog about my life, the things I get up to (within reason!) and how the Active Hands aids that I own contribute to my independence and general well-being. He was under the, hopefully not mistaken, impression that this may be something that would prove of interest to Active Hands followers on Facebook and Twitter, and this also meant I'd be getting sponsored (ie. paid) to do it. Well suddenly the idea of writing a blog became infinitely more appealing and I began feverishly looking into sites to host it, like the shamefully money-driven whore that I am!
In all honesty though, if you're going to get sponsored to write a blog, far better to be sponsored by a company whose aim it is to help people, than by one whose sole purpose is to extract money from your wallet. And that's what Active Hands is...the good one, not the evil, corporate America one! So, if you haven't already then go, check out the Active Hands website, watch the gym workout video, and see the kind of products they make and the benefits they offer people like myself!
Yes, I'm aware that was a shameless bit of advertising and product placement there, but as my Uncle Ben always used to tell me, 'With great sponsorship, comes great advertising'. And there will of course be more nods and nudges in the direction of Active Hands in future posts, but you have my word that this will only ever be done whilst I'm dressed to the nines in my finest pimping gear: White suit, fedora, diamond earring, gold dollar sign chain, bling rings, stogie clenched between my teeth. The works!
This finally concludes my trilogy of background, scene setting posts and brings us about up to date with where I am currently in my life. I will likely delve back into the past if I feel it's relevant to what I'm writing about at the time, or if I just fancy dragging you on a merry trip down memory lane. But I hope to remain more grounded in the present for at least the next few posts, providing of course that there are enough interesting occurrences for me to blog about. I don't think anyone wants to hear me regale my daily shower and skin care routine...right? I mean, I could, you know, if people wanted. Wheelchair washing with Gareth, you gotta admit, it's catchy! Guys? Hello...??
Dammit.
G
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