Tag Archive for Ushers syndrome

18 Aug 2018
Blind Blog • Holidays

Time to go home

The story starts here The start of an adventure… 

The final part of my Scottish adventure; following on from Menacing about in Dundee it is now time to travel back to Glasgow once more to get the sleeper train back to London and call an end to this wonderful adventure.

With weekend engineering works London’s Euston Railway station my train will be returning to London’s Kings Cross instead. Meaning that as this is not a terminating station there will be just 10 minutes to depart before another train will be need the platform. And it also raises the issue of finding The flowerbed again for Fizz after the 8 hour train journey! But before that, we have one last walk along the river in Glasgow on a Friday evening to accomplish first.

This time of adventure in Scotland as a solo traveller (who just happens to have a guide dog) has shown me how much I am still able to do, how much I have grown as a person and how much I need to plan more things like this MORE OFTEN !!

‘Have dog will travel’ has been my mantra for some time now, but theses past few days have showed me just how much I am able to use my wonderful guide dog Fizz to give me such freedom and independence. As I can say categorically I would not have done such a trip with only a long cane.

Each day has been a new environment, a different routine, but she has stepped into her harness each time with a strength that I am sure other guide dog owners can relate to.

The train from Dundee to Glasgow was busy; filled with people finishing work and other travellers, so the guard kindly moved me, Fizz and our luggage into first class, where although still busy there was more space and nobody standing in the aisles.

Glasgow was wet by the time we arrived, but it was the refreshing kind of rain. So we enjoyed walking along the river, Fizz was out of harness to give her the time to sniff and check for Pee-Mails and great the other dogs we met along the way (I wasn’t brace enough to let her off her lead as I had visions of her jumping into The Clyde!)

We returned to walk around town, last grass stop and then we were back in the station…. By this time it was dark and Glasgow was very different with people out for the evening, groups of friends and sadly more people getting cardboard out to sleep in closed shops doorways.

I grabbed my last coffee and headed for the train.

The journey back wasn’t as enjoyable as the train out, we were on an older train and with a long delay on them finding a room for us we were sat in a very loud, busy buffet car.

It was almost 1am when we were shown to our room. It was not an accessible room (not that this in itself was an issue) which made for a walk along a narrow corridor.

Our berth was similar in layout, but all I really cared for was my bed.

Fizz settled quickly too and before I knew it there was a knock on the door to say we half an hour before we got into Kings Cross.

First stop …….. FLOWER BED!

Then coffee for me.

I made notes of my travels while I was away, but wrote these blogs after. But for ease I have posted them on the days and dates they actually happened.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about Scotland as much as I enjoyed my adventure?

Watch this space for more adventures to come……

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17 Aug 2018
Blind Blog • Holidays

Menacing about in Dundee

Fizz sat in front of a Mini the Minx statue on the street in Dundee

The story starts here The start of an adventure… 

Continued from … Peaceful Pitlochry

The train journey from Pitlochry saw another ‘quick dash’ out of Perth railway station to enable Fizz to have a comfort break and to arrive in a very different Dundee.

Not because since my last visit my sight has changed;  Not because my last visit saw me guided by my first guiding girl Vicky;  Rather because THIS Dundee had undergone a MASSIVE transformation that started with the railway station.

A railway station that reminded me so very much of Canary Wharf in London, with its long escalators, glass lifts, grand piano and open spaces.  Photograph of the front exterior glass of Dundee relailway station, with it’s large archway and inside/outside marching paving.

And it was in a very different place to the old station.  Instead of walking out of the station to seeing the RRS Discovery (The ship that Captain Scott took to the Antarctic) across the road, it was now surrounded by building works and to the right a rather large imposing building, that as of late September 2018 will be The V&A Museum Dundee.

Even my hotel was so new that when I looked on Google Street View it showed it as a building site!  But thankfully when I arrived, it was all there beside a lovely welcoming looking Beefeater.

With my room on the 3rd floor I looked out over The River Tay and across to Newport-On-Tay.  I spent the evening walking along the promenade and taking in the changes to the area.  I found several grass areas for Fizz and even introduced Fizz to The RRS Discovery and its penguins as you can see from the photographs.

Photograph of Fizz sitting in front of The RRS Discovery on the dock side

Pho graph of Fizz sat slightly infront of a life size statue of a penguin which sit amongst the paving beside The RRS Discovery

I enjoyed a relaxed unrushed meal in the Beefeater and took advantage of an early night, as my Friday was set to be a busy one.

For Friday I would be checking out of the hotel, but before returning to Glasgow to start my journey home I was catching up with more family.

As a place I have been to many many times before this is the first time I have been without my parents.  It is also the first time which I can remember that I visited The McManus Galleries; or rather The McMenace Galleries as they have temporarily been renamed.  After all Dundee is the home to The Bashstreet Kids, Desperate Dan and Denise the Menace, which are all celebrating their 77th year and heritage within Dundee.

Photograph of the graffitied museum sign taken on an angle with guide dog Fizz sat in front of it.

As a child I grew up with The Beano, so was enthralled to see how it has changed throughout the years.  Although I am not a fan of the latest ‘computeriised’ imagery that moves it away from its comic book strip format.

My wee cousins (actually my cousins children) were my tour guides, taking us around Dundee, walking among the old train lines that run along the now pedestrianised streets.  I even got the opportunity to leave my mark.  In signing my name and writing my gratitude on the six foot tall ‘THANK YOU’ had had only that morning been installed as part of the city’s commemoration to hero’s for this years D-Day Celebrations.

Fizz sat in front of a giant T as part of the THANK YOU installation, where I wrote my message of Thanks

Tall letters on plinths that say THANK YOU, with pictures of men and women who have fought for the country on the front, with the remaining sides left white for people to write their own messages of Thanks.

And from Dundee we travelled to another favourite haunt as a child when I would come to spend the summer with my Granny Lily…. We went off to Broughty Ferry, were we walked along a very blustery shore, saw the castle and then enjoyed a nice late lunch together.

Time ran away from us, we chatted, we remembered those family members who were no longer with us and we laughed at fond childhood memories.

Back in Dundee for one day was not long enough…. I shall most definitely be returning, making this my base next time.  So many more adventures to in this beautiful city I am sure…. At the very least I need to come back to see if the inside of the new V&A museum is as breathtaking as the exterior?

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14 Jan 2017
Blind Blog • Challenges

Crowdfunding and me

So, it would appear crowdfunding as aposed to charity fundraising comes with a limit… Not a monetary limit, rather a time limit; of just 120 days !

So having been keen and set up a page (as detailed in my previous posts) we have had to change the name slightly and create a new page.

The £95 that was raised on the original page is being moved over and the link for the new one is:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/HelpTinkHear

so, the 120 day counter has been reset and from today we have 3 months to raise this.  So, even if it is just £1, if you can help it would be greatly appreciated.

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01 Jan 2017
Blind Blog • Training & Fitness

The Cheesegrater is going to have to wait

An image of the London Skyline, showing The Cjeesegrater with The Gherkin to the right and The Lloyds building in the foreground.

All the climbing of 2016 has taught me so much more about myself as a climber, I am going to need to work on my technique dramatically if I am to turn my 1st place into a Team GB place.

This doesn’t mean that I am giving up on my fundraising, now more than ever I want to show my worth and EARN my Resound Hearing Aids, but with my climbing partner currently our of action, as the post title suggests ‘The Cheesegrater is going to have to wait’

Just days before Christmas, my climbing partner in crime underwent an operation for a hernia, one that has left him unable to train for a minimum of six weeks.  So with him not even being able to go to the gym until mid-February, let alone climb.  I have made the decision to postpone my climb.

Yes, I can climb with another partner.

No, I am not sharing my climb with ‘climbing partner in crime’.

But…… He is my motivator, my muse and my forceful “not let me down until I have reached the top” coach.  It wouldn’t be right to climb without him as my belay.

The new date is looking like late March, early April.  But no date is being set until the whole of ‘Team T’ is fit enough.

First a gherkin; Next a Cheesegrater !! is where I wrote about my challenge back in October, it was hoped that the climb would happen later this month, but health comes first and so, I am going to be cheeky and link you to the Crowdfunding page that has been set up for me, ‘HelpTeeHear’ where you can see why I am doing all of this.

My world is getting quieter in addition to darker and I’m not happy with it, not one little bit.  I want to be able to keep me, my independence and my love of technology that helps me to do all this.

So, my shameless plug is above, please take a moment to have a look.

And in the meantime, follow me for more updates on the climb and my other adventures.

 

 

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