JB Progress

We visited Sidmouth for three days, earlier this week, staying at the Victoria Hotel which was old fashioned but very friendly and helpful.  We were at the younger end of the clientele, who were brandishing plenty of sticks and rollators. We had a pleasant time exploring the town. I did a couple of wheelchair runs along the promenade and into the town, all good practice at negotiating the various challenges and obstacles. We liked the Connaught Gardens at the western end of town, which has won any number of awards, and which has a fine cafe and cakery in the Clock Tower.

I placed an order today with Versatile Motors for two significant modifications to my Volvo V40. Versatile Motors The first is to fit a Chair Topper, which will haul a wheelchair up into a box on the car's roof and drop it down again when needed. This will be a great help, as neither Sandie nor I can lift it into the boot on our own. It will also save space inside the car. Chair Topper The second is to fit hand controls, so that I can continue to drive the car without needing to use its foot pedals. There'll be a detachable ring on the front of the steering wheel to press for acceleration and a lever on the steering column to push down on for braking. The car will still be able to be driven by normal drivers, such as Sandie. This sorts out the next phase of transport. 

After several weeks of wrangling between solicitors, the sale of a strip of land at the bottom of my garden to my uphill neighbour was completed yesterday.  My neighbour wants the land as a "ransom strip" to stop developers forcing a road through to the field at the end of my garden, when the time comes to sell my house.  That's a desire that I share, not wanting the area I've lived in happily for 30 years to be despoiled. I no longer have a use for that piece of land and the extra money will come in handy as part of funding for house and car adaptations.

The new bathroom was finished this afternoon. It is now a wet area room, completely level. so suitable for feet or wheels.  It was installed by Absolute Mobility of Henley, designed by James Spicer and installed by Martin and Errol..

We took the wheelchair down to Beale Park, which has a network of tarmac paths in pleasant surroundings. I managed to scoot around the place reasonably well in the wheelchair. Cambers are a problem, so it pays to keep to the crown of the path. I propelled myself most of the way, but Sandie took over pushing for a while, so as to get the feel of being in charge. It was a successful experiment and helped to normalise the experience of one us being in a wheelchair. There were plenty of Mums wheeling their charges around in push chairs. https://www.bealepark.org.uk/

The bathroom is at the halfway stage of being converted, after a week's work by Absolute Mobility of Henley. Last Monday they completely gutted it. Since then they've been strengthening the floor, redoing the plumbing and electrics and plastering walls and ceiling. They've covered the floorboards with thin plywood. You can see from the photo that they've left it clean and tidy, as they do at the end of each day. I'm very pleased with their whole approach to tackling this job. They know what they are doing, get on with it with a will and do so cheerfully. Martin and Errol say that they are looking forward to making it pretty during next week.

The new lift is installed and working. It glides quietly between the two floors and won't squash anything that gets in its way. It took two chaps two days to assemble it in situ and get it working.  It works hydraulically and there's a box on the wall outside that contains the pump. The wheelchair fits neatly inside.