#Laceupforbones in Bath!

This is a photo of my shoes with orange laces
beside my manual wheelchair.

Last Tuesday (20th October) I took part in a 'flash mob' style tai chi session in support of World Osteoporosis Day and the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) Lace Up for Bones campaign. The charity has designed orange laces which supporters can purchase, put on their shoes and spread the word about the campaign through social media. The laces also act as encouragement to take part in exercise which helps keep bones healthy and strong. The Lace Up For Bones campaign was organised by my friend Emma Butler, from Emma Butler PR.

This is a photo of the beautiful autumnal scene for our tai chi session.

We arrived in Bath quite early, with autumn sunshine shining down on the beautiful multi coloured leaves scattered around Queen Square. It was a bit chilly, but the tai chi would soon warm us up. Paddy, a Bath tai chi instructor, led the session and it was a perfect way to spend the morning. It was very relaxing, and peaceful (apart from the ambulances that passed by on a few occasions!) and reminded me of the benefits of taking time out from a hectic life. I used to practice chi kung but life has become more busy since then and it's hard to make time for it, but it is important and something I've set a goal to do.

This is a photo of the back of us performing tai chi.

As you can see from the photos, there was a variety of people taking part, including staff from The Francis Hotel in Queen Square who were incredibly supportive and let us use their toilets. I was able to adapt the exercises to my ability while sitting in my wheelchair and Paddy was great at giving discreet guidance ensuring I was fully included throughout the session.

This is a photo of the tai chi session at Queen Square.

This is a photo of Bath Abbey

After the tai chi session we enjoyed exploring the sights and shops in Bath. We had a delicious lunch outside at the Roman Baths Kitchen with a picturesque view looking out to the Abbey and the Roman Baths and music played by the buskers. Whilst the streets of Bath itself are not the most wheelchair friendly at times - the pavements are cobbled in places, quite narrow and a lot are rather uneven with few drop kerbs, all the staff of the places we visited were incredibly helpful. The Francis Hotel assisted us into the hotel with a portable ramp and the toilets have doors that open by pressing a button which makes it very easy when you use a wheelchair. The Roman Baths Kitchen has a through floor lift leading downstairs to the toilets which made it fully accessible. I was surprised to see the lift because the buildings are so old. Thank you everyone in Bath for making us feel so welcome.

If you would like more information about the campaign, the NOS has set up the Lace Up For Bones website where people can share their laces photos and win prizes. The money raised from selling the laces will go towards helping the three million people in the UK affected by osteoporosis. Check out the website, share your photos and Lace Up for Bones!

Dogs For Good - the rebranding of Dogs for the Disabled

Today is a special day as the assistance dog charity Dogs for the Disabled is rebranded to Dogs for Good. Dogs for Good is an amazing charity, it has trained over 750 dogs in the last twenty seven years and these have helped enrich the lives of many people with disabilities. They have changed their name because the dogs are trained for more varied roles. As well as training assistance dogs to help people with disabilities and children with autism, they provide advice and support to people on how their pet dog could benefit the whole family. They also train activity and therapy dogs to work in the community and schools.

This is a photo of my assistance dog Rowan at Center Parcs in November 2007.

I have benefited from Dogs for Good in the past (when they were Dogs for the Disabled), I had an assistance dog called Rowan between October 2002 and July 2009. He was a friendly, lively golden retriever, who helped me in many different ways including help with practical tasks such as picking items up and carrying them, to pulling off my wellies and pulling open doors. He also gave me the confidence to get out and about more independently, I didn't feel like people were staring at me because of my wheelchair and long cane, I believed that they were looking at me because I had a very clever, gorgeous dog!

We had many amazing adventures as a result of our partnership, one time we went on a London Eye photo shoot to promote the charity, and in February 2008 Rowan was selected  to be one of the dogs for Royal Mail's Working Dogs stamp issue. He was on the 1st class stamp! It was amazing, especially because in the auditions he was so over excited that I thought he was running too quickly with the letter that he had to give to me. It was like being with an overexcited child!

Rowan was brilliant, I have many fond memories of him and he will always have a special place in my heart.

Dogs for Good welcome any support you can give them, they receive no government funding so are entirely reliant on donations, fundraising and volunteers. It costs £12,000 to fund a puppy to being a fully trained adult and £20,000 to fund a dog for its entire working life. If you would like to find out more about Dogs for Good, you can visit their website: www.dogsforgood.org

An Outing with the Owls....

Our daughter had an invitation to a birthday party at the Hawk Conservancy Trust, Andover, Hampshire. I accompanied her and we both had an amazing time. It is a place I have been to once before, many years ago as a child. My main memory is being in a field, with no seating, watching the birds flying. The site has now changed completely but I could still imagine where I watched the birds all those years ago.

This is a photo of Melissa holding Whisper the Beebok Owl

The Hawk Conservancy Trust is an award winning visitor attraction and a registered charity. It began life as Weyhill Wildlife Park in 1965, founded by Reg and Hilary Smith. It evolved over the years and in 1980 The Hawk Conservancy was created. The site is huge, twenty two acres of woodland and wildflower meadow, and there are over 150 birds of prey that you can see. It's the perfect way to spend a relaxing day with nature.

When we arrived I was given a large print version of the welcome sheet which was a lovely touch - it felt really inclusive. I was really impressed at how accessible the outdoor based areas are, all paths are tarmaced and the slopes are gentle. The viewing areas has designated areas for wheelchairs and all the staff were incredibly helpful throughout the day.

I particularly enjoyed the shows, we watched two of the three shows, and as it was a party, we were all able to hold a Beebok owl called Whisper. He wasn't scared of my wheelchair at all and it was a wonderful experience.

This is a photo of our birthday party group sitting on the tractor.

The food in the Feathers Restaurant looked enticing and my homemade soup was delicious. . Following the party, I looked at the Hawk Conservancy website and read that they also offer a large print menu which is a really useful resource.

We all enjoyed a ride on the tractor around Reg's Meadow, unfortunately it wasn't in flower because it was October, but it was still a beautiful sunny day and we were able to appreciate all the other wildlife.

I would highly recommend the Hawk Conservancy as an enjoyable day out for anyone and I would love to return in the future.

For more information visit: www.hawkconservancy,org