Today is one filled with mixed emotions, concerns and thoughts. Today, 18th January 2015 is the last working day for my guide dog Vicky. We have been working together as a qualified team since 18th November 2009, and it has been an amazing 5
03
Sep 2016
So….. Today, this happened !!
It’s almost 11.00 o’clock, 12 hours after this crazy day started. The climbing arena was nothing like I had ever seen before and no matter how much I had researched and looked at photo after photo I was not prepared for the quarry that I
02
Sep 2016
Maybe I Should have said something before…..
Well, this is something new……. I am sat in the passenger seat of my friends car doing 70+ MPH on the M6 Motorway travelling on my way to Edinburgh; while typing this blog. My iPad is tethered to my phone for 4G and my voiceover
19
Jun 2018
Faith
While with a group of friends today we were talking about faith. Discussing it and questioning what our understanding of it is. One comment made about one way to look at faith was If you’re sat on a chair, you hold faith that THAT chair
22
Apr 2013
St George’s Day sewing marathon
So, tomorrow is St George’s Day and at 2.40 this afternoon my daughters school sent out a text message to say that any Beavers, Rainbows, Brownies etc are free to wear their uniforms instead of school uniform… With full badges! This created 2 panics…. 1)
11
Aug 2026
Accessible Design or Happy Coincidence
There are times in history where a product or design that were designed for someone with additional needs became so well used by all; that it is simply seen as universal.
One of these products sits proudly on my kitchen worktop. It is a Brevil One Cup water dispenser. (Other brands are available)
The One Cup was designed to be a more energy efficient way to make a cup a tea; as it only boils the water for one cup (the marketing team probably spent a lot of money and time naming this product). With a turn dial on the top to adjust the amount it pours for various cup sizes, I can literally put the cup underneath, press the button and walk away, no need to lift a boiled kettle, no need to use a liquid level indicator or colour coordinate my cups to be able to see the water level. I know people who have brought this product as they are unable to lift a kettle anymore and in fact I use a measuring jug to refill the water reservoir.
Here in the UK at the moment we are experiencing a heat wave, with temperatures soaring above 24 degrees, my guide dog Ben has been off work. He is chilling at home in the cool with the fan, while I am heading out more with my (not so faithful) long cane which is known as Candy the Cane.
Using a long cane for me is exhausting, I rely more on familiar land marks and use a ‘shoreline’ technique; where I either use a building line or grass verge to orientate myself.
And given the warmer weather I have been making use of air conditioned buses rather than walking.
Fareham bus station was renovated and opened in 1993, now whether this was part of the design, or just a happy coincidence; the station layout is very accessible and easy to orient around.
The station itself is open on both ends, with benches on the left wall and triangular glazed seating areas on the right beside the opening to get on the bus at the stand.
Each stand is in alphabetical order as you enter at the main entrance. But in addition to this the paving within the station is set out to pale large concrete squares and is broken up by a darker brick that to the unknowing eye is just a pretty pattern; when in fact it is a shoreline system.
For the brick placement sets out a safe walking area, it runs on the left to be in front of the benches I previously detailed. Then to the right it marks out where the large board with the bus time tables are, then laying horizontal to this is more bricks, this bricks actually mark out where the opening in the stand is to get on the bus. And what stops you walking out on the forecourt I hear you ask? The area outside the bus station where you would walk onto the bus is laid to concrete, so a different texture for a long cane.
The horizontal bricks enable a long cane user to count in, so should they require Stand E then they know that the fifth set of horizontal bricks is where they need to be.
This feature of the flooring and placement is probably missed by most; but for those that rely on it, it is ingenious.
Sadly, while researching for this post I was unable to find any information to know if this was in fact part of the design or simply a happy coincidence.
Either way, during this time when my cane doesn’t respond to “find the way” as my guide dog would; I am very appreciative of it.
10
Jul 2026
Three years have flown
This week is three years since I qualified Guide Dog Ben.
Despite Ben being my third dog, this was the first time I had trained ‘on class’ rather than from home (known as domicillary training)
There are pro’s and con’s to both and I was really looking forward to gaining the experience.
For me the biggest difference was that my training took place in Blandford; an area I had never visited before. Meaning that I couldn’t rely on ‘muscle memory’ as I can within my home town.
There were also some minor changes to the wording used and commands. Thankfully Ben’s puppyraisers had trained him with multipul commands, so when I slipped into old habits he knew what I meant!
And what have I learned in the last three years?
Firstly, just because the training was over and we were ‘qualified’ and ‘signed off’ as a partnership, did not mean that we stopped learning from each other.
It sounds like a cliché, but there are still times now when I am learning from Ben.
In the most part, he is a ‘bomb-proof’ dog. But only if I am confident; when I get stressed or agitated this flows from me into his harness. And then he has little ‘tells’ to show me he is nervous; interesting this one ‘tell’ can also show when he is worked up or frustrated.
I never knew it was possible for a four legged dog to only walk on three of their legs? What I mean by that is, when Ben is nervous he will keep walking, but will use one of his back legs to scratch the elbow on the matching front leg.
As I said, this isn’t always about being nervous. This can also happen when he has been excited, maybe with another dog giving off play signals or even if a dog is barking and giving off aggressive energy.
So, with some help from our guide dog trainer we worked on a simple word command for Ben to release the tension.
And that is simply for me to stop, ask him to calm down and wait with him until he ‘shakes it off’
A good body shake is a great way for dogs to release pent up energy or simply to ‘reset’.
I think it is a Goldie thing, but I see so much of my first guide dog Vicky in Ben, she would always happily put her head into her harness, but after a step or two, she would have a good shake. As if to get the harness into position for her and move her fur.
”Calm Down” is said with a soft voice, patience and reassurance.
Given my employment, volunteer roles and varied friendship groups Ben is not a stickler for routine. He knows some days are busy work days for him and then when I go to work, I am the busy one and he gets to snooze through my shifts:
Saying that, he is very particular about walking in a set way on our more familiar routes. He will adapt if there is an obstacle or road works, but for the most part he likes his familiar routes.
With my daughter having just finished her second year at LMA in London, Ben has regularly found himself guiding me through Waterloo station onto the tube and regularly visiting Stratford or North Greenwich, his memory for where the lifts are is amazing. And maybe also helped by the fact that there is a Caffè Nero directly opposite one of the lifts at Waterloo.
When it is busy this is when I need him most, which I am sure he knows, as he absolutely thrives in a busy environment.
It’s only when we are local to home and on a large pedestrian area that he isn’t as engaged or focused. And I have been known to end up following a walking pigeon! He doesn’t chase them, but he does look at times as if he doesn’t understand how they can be walking one minute and then flap their wings and fly away.
At the moment (June/July 2026) Ben has found himself ‘grounded’ due to exceptionally high temperatures and humidity. As a double coated dog I am still amazed that he isn’t bald given how much hair he is dropping!
The reason for ‘grounding him’ is because the paths are hot, the temperature is over 24 degrees and as much as I hate using Candy my Cane, his wellness and health comes first.
He has spent many a day heading out for a sniffari walk at 5am or 10pm. This is where he isn’t in harness, but rather on a long lead; he can literally sniff all he wants. A sniffari is a great enrichment and means he is still getting some brain work in despite not putting on his harness and guiding.
Last week when we had a break in temperature and he did get to work in harness; he was so excited, he was literally bouncing the entire walk.
Ben loves to work, he also has a cheeky side and if he spots a Starbucks then I am often walking through the door before I have even realised.
He will do this especially in London, I sometimes think if he could talk, this is his way of saying:
Let’s just take a moment to decompress, you need caffeine and I need a little paw rest.
Although there was a long wait for Ben, in-fact he wasn’t even born when Fizz retired; he was certainly worth it!
in one way I can’t believe we have been together three years and then at other times it feels like he has always been here.
So, here are to many more years ahead of us; to the adventures; the new experiences and to growth.
As I said earlier, Ben feels confident when I feel confident, he is a sensitive soul and this is something we are working on together.
21
May 2026
it’s just there …
Three words most visually impaired people dread hearing:
It’s over there. It’s Just there.
and even
just over there.
Those words are linked to a magical land that is forever out of our reach.
Today while at the train station I ordered my coffee and moved to the end of the counter to listen for my name and await my drink.
But being busy the barista simply said my name, put my coffee on the counter and walked away.
Which for most customers this would be absolutely no issue, but for me it creates the opposite. Because a white coffee cup on a light coloured counter is really hard to make out, even more so when the cup is in such a position that I can’t make out the green branding.
No problem, a quick “Could you please hand me my coffee” and back came those magical words “it’s just there!”
Thankfully a man who was awaiting his order jumped in to help, he popped a collar on my cup and handed it to me; even explaining where the opening was. (Major brownie points!)
As I walked away I heard him ask the staff to do better.
He pointed out that I was stood at a distance from the counter so my guide dog was fully visible to the staff.
Thank You for kind strangers, I appreciate it.
But just a word of advice, “over there” is absolutely a magical land where both tomorrow and procrastination live.
Even more so when you walk through life with a visual impairment.
14
Jan 2026
More than a Guide Dog – This is a new journey
In the last fifteen years I have been blessed with three wonderful guides beside me. But it is with Ben that I have learnt so much more.
Both Fizz and Vicky before him, came to me after working with others. So although I had a bond and I trusted them totally; with Ben there has always been something else, something that feels different to the girls.
I have always joked that this time around I could be held fully responsible for any ‘bad habits’ Ben picked up! But I underestimated how amazing and rather magical it has been to watch Ben’s personality come out; in the last two and half years he has grown.
He is still (and probably always will be) a giant puppy; full golden retriever part kangeroo. He has certainly matured and I am in awe that I have finally had the opportunity to watch this happen.
When the girls arrived they were four and three and a half respectively; so were through that true puppy to teenager stage that I have finally been able to experience.
Ben has also reminded me of how ‘Chatty’ my first guide dog Vicky was. Being Goldem retriever and Flatcoated retriever (often nicknamed. ‘The-Double-Diva’ retriever) she too would be chatty. Making sure I was aware of how excited she was with a new toy or when I put my shoes on. Ben gets very excited when I put on my shoes, often nuzzling into me as I crouch down to do up my laces; so I am unable to miss how excited he gets about working.
Thankfully Ben does not have the same stubborn streak for walk back on himself that Vicky had, I am very grateful that I have not had to return to circular routes, which I just ‘accepted’ as something that every guide dog did… Something I only discovered was typical for a ‘diva-retriever’ when I trained with Fizz!
Both of the girls had a cheeky side; as does Ben. But where the girls arrived with theirs’ I have been able to watch Ben develop. I have found it easier to understand some of his behaviours with a deeper understanding because we have learnt together. He has a ‘tell’ when he is overwhelmed, frustrated or has some pent up energy, like when he has found a dog that has tried to initiate play while he is working in harness. With the support of our guide trainer we have worked on some additional command to reduce these behaviours.
We are two and a half years into this journey, I am sure that there is still plenty we yet have to learn from each other and I for one cannot wait.
Theresa Osborne-Bell |
One comment | Tags: accessibility, doing it, guide dogs, independence, Perception, VIP
14
Apr 2025
Who needs a comfort zone anyway?
Its been a while.
2024 threw me some pretty horrid curve balls, I was exhausted; emotionally, mentally and physically. And I allowed myself to get lost among it all.
2025 has been about making peace with the demons, coping with the new way of doing things and finding passion in life again.
It all started with a message in a Facebook forum group little over six weeks ago, I asked for a pilot. Not the ‘fly me to an exotic island kind’ but rather someone who would take the lead and pilot my tandem so I could start getting back to the things I love.
A few people reached out, one is just a few miles away. Another has recently started training to be a pilot and again is within a few miles. Then there was John, he organises social rides for groups of visually impaired people, matching them with pilots on a social ride once a month.
And it was one of these social rides that I found myself at yesterday.
This option wasn’t as local, but as I didn’t need to take my own tandem; with the help of a friend giving me a lift I joined the fun … or madness.
An early start to get to Reading for 9am on a Sunday, where I joined 4 other visually impaired riders, their pilots and several support riders for a 26 mile ride that saw us travel through Cavisham and Henley-on-Thames with some pretty good audio description from my pilot.
Realising the last time I rode anything more than ‘around the block’ was in 2022 and that was only 5 miles – so this ride threw me completely out of my comfort zone.
But I absolutely loved it.
We stopped at around 13 miles for a coffee and much required flapjack sugar fix, as the ride involved many hills and some poorly maintained roads with uncomfortable pot holes.
My pilot was brilliant, he explained all the terms to me, he warned me of cars approaching in front, cars from behind and even dogs and horses.
He also pointed out the boats on the river, the big posh houses and the flowers in the hedgerows as we went past them.
It took about 20 minutes to get into a rhythm with him; but by the end of the ride we were pretty clued into each other.
It’s a common misconception that the stoker on the back of the bike just sits and pedals a bit. There were actually times when I needed to put more force in to get us going on a hill start as they need a good rear push.
Yes; the pilot takes control of the gears and such, but it is a team effort; which going by the aching thighs and saddle sore I’m feeling today I feel the description of a gentle social ride was a little economical with the truth.
But incase you haven’t realised by now. I loved it, I can’t wait to go again, sadly work commitments means that’s not for a few months.
But it was an amazing adventure and one that I am not going to put off any longer.
Thankfully my leg strength hasn’t completley diminished in the last year of inactivity.
And I have found a new passion.
Now to buy some good quality padded cycling shorts!
10
Jul 2024
What a Year.
Those who have been round for a while will realise that I have been rather quiet of late.
If truth be told; it’s been over a year!
But, that’s all about to change.
You may get sick of me in the next few months, but lots to update. Many posts will be backdated to when the drafts were penned.
Hope you enjoy
27
Dec 2023
Updates Incoming
Life has been a little busy; 2023 has seen some major changes.
In February, I returned to paid work for the first time in over a decade.
In June, I started training with my 3rd guide dog.
Both have been absolutely BRILLIANT, yet thoroughly EXHAUSTING.
However it is time to get back to one of my passions, time to write again.
Blogs incoming.
10
Jun 2023
A year already
Subscribe to continue reading
Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.
Theresa Osborne-Bell |
Comments Off on A year already | Tags: blurred vision, Disability, doing it, guide dogs, independence, VIP
05
Jun 2023
Short & Sweet – The First Day
We arrived safely at the hotel, checking into our room and are just about to meet the other guide dog owners, their dogs and the trainers who will be getting us through this.
Through the power of Facebook, I already know one of the other guide dog owners and as the same trainer has all three dogs that are on class, the dogs have already spotted each other and gone into play mode!
Ben is the palest of the three Golden, in-fact if we line them up right it looks like the colour started to run out by the time it got to Ben. All three dogs are boys and the other two are actually litter-mates but having trained together with the GDMS (Guide Dog Mobility Specialist) they are all best of friends.
As I said in my previous post, I have never done this type of training before. Which is making me feel a little anxious, but I am also excited. I have already fallen head over heels in love with Ben, he has a quirky goofy side that comes out every so often. And being only eighteen months he is the baby of the group, just another thing I have never had before in a guide dog. As both the girls were past maturity when they came to me; I am learning even more about dogs than ever before.
Today is about settling in, finding our way around the hotel and getting an idea of how our days are going to play out. We are in a beautiful hotel in Blandford, guide dogs have held classes here before, but we are only the second since Covid and the staff are so helpful.
Now for the work to begin …
04
Jun 2023
Time to go on Class
Despite Ben being my third guide dog, he is introducing me to new experiences before we have even become a partnership. He is the first guide dog that I have attended a class training with:
My first guide dog Vicky worked before coming to me; her previous partnership ended when the person she was guiding died. So, aged 4 she was matched with me. A match that meant we would train from home. Otherwise known as domiciliary. Which given that I discovered in the first week of training together that I was pregnant with my son and not just super nervous was perfect.
Then my second guide dog Fizz had also previously worked with another partnership, that saw her come back to Guide Dogs and be offered to me when she was 3 and a half years old. So again, we trained together from home. Which with two children to get to school and nursery again worked out perfectly for me.
Domiciliary training has its benefits, such as enabling the partnership to learn local straight off, enabling home life to be disrupted as little as possible as all training is done within ‘school hours’ as such.
Yet, it also has its downfalls. It doesn’t give the new guide dog owner the opportunity to completely close off to home life, meet other guide dog owners or undertake group training sessions.
Although, having never known any differently I am not sure how I am feeling about finally getting my class experience.
On paper it sounds amazing! Monday to Friday for two weeks at a hotel, all meals catered for, two weeks of not having to cope with ‘home life as well as training.
But … There is a little part of me that is nervous. I am going on to a training class in a small village that I have never been to before! Unlike my ‘home neighbourhood’ which I know very well. I am going to be like a fish out of water, surely if I don’t know where a I am going, I am not going to be able to direct Ben correctly?
My kids are older now, they live between me and their dads’ so are fully able to understand where I am going and why I am doing it; so thankfully that’s something I don’t need to worry about. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to miss them.
Maybe it’s also that it’s been nineteen months since Fizz retired?
Maybe it’s also that guide dogs now use a different training method, with different concerns that I’m feeling anxious?
I have been advised that a Ben is a very smart dog; but what if I’m not good enough for him?
Anyway, it’s a bit late for that now … Our bags are packed, although u feel I am forgetting something. Ben’s food is all measured out and the volunteer driver will be here in the morning to pick us up.
I’m sure it will be okay; won’t it?
