Digital Detox Time...

If you would like to catch up on Last Years Trip, see some more pictures of the gorgeous Lake District (Cumbria) and want to read more while I'm away, you can read about:

....Our Journey to the lakes - Traveling with Heni ,

....See some book reviews- Calm by Michale Acton smith and Alex Tew  (I read this last year on our trip....and  Beyond the summit by Todd Skinner, (which has some pictures of our climb up the Old man of Coniston!)

 ....Read about some places to Eat out with food Intolerances at Lucy's in Ambleside  , Chesters by the River and Greens of Grasmere 

....and find some  walking with wheelchair ideas: Grasmere Lake from Rydal car park
and fun ideas like our Four Wheel Driving respite day. 

Have a great few weeks and I'll see you on the 15th!

Jx

Walking with Wheelchairs - Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

Its been a little while since I did a walking with wheelchairs post so I'd like to tell you about some walks we came across during our summer holiday to Rye. Literally  a few minutes stroll from our holiday cottage In Rye Harbour was a fantastic nature reserve with miles of paths  and trails to explore....there were at lease three good circular walks  which vary in length that you can do. While we were there (and had the proximity and time) we  went out on numerous days and decided to try some of the various routes. 

Walking with Wheelchairs - Stanborough Lakes

Today was one of those days when you have a double booking! (I had a triple booking actually, as I was supposed to go run with a friend!)
Heni had been given the opportunity to go on a trip (from college) with all of her pals.... but we had also been sent a wheelchair clinic appointment to attend. 
Dilemma....Which to chose?!
The temptation was to drop the clinic..... but over the last few months she hasn't been sitting quite as well in her chair so duty and necessity got the better of us and we felt obliged to attend the clinic. We traveled up to to Welwyn Garden City (about 40 minutes journey away), attended the appointment, and 10- 15 minutes later....after a few turns of a spanner and some minor adjustments to her chair, we were sent on our way.

The wheelchair clinic complete with bluebells!

 We thought it was a shame that Heni should miss out on her trip and seeing as we now had the rest of the morning off college we decided to go on our own little adventure with her.

Walking with Wheelchairs - Call for walks from around the world!

 Today is a bit more of an unusual post as I wanted to explain a little bit about my previous "Walking with Wheelchairs" blogs. As some of you will know (who have read the previous posts) I really  enjoy walking and we also like to go on walks frequently as a family. When you are accompanied by someone in a  wheelchair though,  you can be stuck for choice as to where you can go. Sometimes you can look up accessible walks on line ( (at places like http://www.walkswithwheelchairs.com/) but it's always nice to find new terrains and vistas to explore.  
We have some set routes that we like to do but occasionally we like to just go and figure it out as we go along..... sometimes it works..... sometimes you get stuck in a field and can't get out again!! 
(mostly you can with a bit of muscle power!)

Walking with wheelchairs - Grasmere Lake from Rydal Car park.

  It feels like the "Eating out with food Intolerances" and "Walking with Wheelchairs" posts should be merged. Food and walking tend to go hand in hand and it is hard to separate the two.  Today I was thinking of putting the two together but the post was rather long... therefore I would like to tell you about another lovely walk we took with Heni while we were in the Lakes (you never know ...you may need this information if you visit there one day!) AND  then in a future post do a review of "Greens" in Grasmere where we stopped for refueling at the half way point!

We have done this walk plenty of times before but have only ever been able to go a short distance with Heni in the buggy/wheelchair as the paths and stiles prevented us from going very far... HOWEVER we were very pleased this year to see that a heap of work had been done on the trail (presumably by by the National Trust?) making it more accessible.   The terrain was more chair friendly than before and the stiles had been removed and gates wide enough for wheelchairs  had replaced them. This allowed us to get all the way from the car park which is at the west end of Rydal water  (where it says TOILETS on the map) all the way round the south of Grasmere lake  (...indicated by the black dotted line but going in the opposite direction to the arrows).. to Grasmere village and then back in a circular loop.

Walking with wheelchairs - Wilstone /Tringford/ Startops reservoirs

Wilstone Reservoir 

 Today is Bank Holiday Monday and it's been gloriously sunny.  Earlier, we decided to take Heni out on a walk around Wilstone, Tringford and Startops reservoirs near Aylesbury....a walk I have done before with a friend but have never done with "H". Unfortunately I  couldn't remember if there were any gates or stiles to contend with along the way.... a rather important detail for when walking with wheelchair users! However, seeing as the "P.E Mead Farm Shop" (where I buy my ostrich eggs)  is right next to the reservoir .... we decided to take the chance and  head up the A41 on the half hour journey. 

Heni looking at the lambs

We have two modes of transport for Heni ...one is her "actual" wheelchair that won't go on anything other than concrete and very solid flat surfaces and the other is the "Advanced Mobility Independence Max " chair we bought from Chariots all Terrain Pushchairs (www.pushchairs.co.uk) about a year ago.