#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!