Valentine's Day 2020 - Amy

A few years ago I wrote a post about Valentine’s day and how miserable and depressing it can be for those who are single.  Every year Valentine’s Day just felt the same, a big disappointment. The older I got, the less I believed that I would find the man of my dreams. There is so much to deal with when it comes to me, I need help in a lot of ways that most people don’t. This feels quite embarrassing and awkward when it comes to dating. It will put some guys off and the ones who seem fine just don’t seem to understand. I like to think that there is more to me than my health problems and sight loss, but it takes very special people to see that too. 

I had been on and off a dating app for a while and last year I was on a bit of a break from it again. I was trying to avoid any unnecessary stress so I decided that I should leave it alone for a while. One night I was feeling a bit more relaxed so I decided to go on and see if there was anybody new on there. And there was. I saw from his profile that we had quite a few things in common. He said on his profile that he probably sounded boring, but the things that he thought sounded boring were the things that made him perfect for me. I really hoped that I would get to talk to him, and I did. We have talked every day since. He is one of those special people that can see beyond all the issues and he doesn’t let those issues put him off at all. He wants to be there for me and help however he can and I do with him. He understands a lot of things that most guys wouldn’t have the first clue about. 

In the past there’s always been that awkward moment when I have to mention my sight problems, with him it wasn’t awkward at all. He told me a few things and I told him a few things. We got it all out of the way from the very beginning and it was never awkward at all. We both have rubbish that we wish we didn’t have to deal with, but we deal with it together. 

So this year I am actually looking forward to Valentine’s Day. It will be my first one where I won’t be feeling all left out and lonely. And to make it even more special, it will be six months since I first met one of the most lovely guys in the world. 

National Hug Day - Amy

Today is National Hug Day so I thought I would write about that. Some people don’t like hugs or any physical contact with somebody else because of various reasons. Some people find it really uncomfortable. One of my friends is on the autistic spectrum and she doesn’t like any form of physical contact with people who she doesn’t know well and trust.  She only feels comfortable hugging a small number of people. Some people have had bad or even traumatic experiences of physical contact, so they are not able to trust others or cope with the feeling of being touched. Some people also have chronic pain conditions which makes things like hugging very painful. 

Other people are completely at the other end of the scale. Some people are very tactile, they thrive on physical contact with others and feel comfortable walking up to a complete stranger and hugging them at New Year. 

For me, I wouldn’t walk up to a complete stranger and hug them, but if they seem trustworthy I feel fine if they come and give me a quick hug and some kind of celebration, or if somebody saw me upset.  Hugging people is an important part of my life. I always hug my close friends as we are saying goodbye. There are quite a few of us in the group, so this takes a while! But I always feel really guilty if one person accidentally gets missed. Which does happen occasionally. I find hugging is a symbol of caring. Even the strangers at New Year, in that moment, everybody cares that we are all happy and having fun. Friends and family hug because they care. If somebody hugs me because I’m down or upset, it’s because they care. And I hug people when I care. 

I would absolutely hate a world where there was no hugging. 

Then there’s cuddles. Is a hug the same as a cuddle? Or is it different? To me a hug is fairly quick, and a cuddle is when you are sat next to each other and lasts quite a while. To me a proper cuddle is tight, strong and it makes you feel safe and protected. Every so often I really need a proper cuddle. Even if there is nothing wrong with me, every so often I just need that big tight cuddle and the feeling of being protected. I have recently found somebody who is perfect for that job and I absolutely love it. As well as me being the one feeling protected I do like to be the one who makes somebody else feel that way. 

For me cuddles and hugs are one of the best things in the world. 

Different Attitudes. Home and Away - Amy

I have recently been on holiday to Spain and I found it quite interesting how attitudes vary towards sight loss. 

I read before we travelled that the airport do a pink lanyard, which shows staff that you, or somebody in your group, may need extra help. I considered this, but I thought I would use my guide cane so they can see that just like they can see a pink lanyard. It said online to look out for any pink areas, as these are help zones for any passengers that have any questions or are struggling to find their way around. So it all sounded really positive.   

When we got to the airport however it was a completely different story. When we were in the check in area it was like me and my white cane were invisible. Other passengers were constantly knocking into me and we just checked in as normal. It wasn’t until we got to security that a man actually noticed me and checked we were all ok. He said that we should have all asked for a pink lanyard so that they would know that we needed extra support. I never really thought about it this way before, but if I had got a lanyard then they would have known that I was there and that there is somebody coming through that will need help. So they would actually look. Now that I have seen it that way, next time I will definitely get one. But I still think my cane was pretty obvious. When we went through the body scanner, I really wasn’t sure which way I was going. With all the machinery and people around it was hard to see which way to go. I tried to follow my Dad who went through first, but it was still hard. My cane had to go through the hand luggage scanner which I do understand, but it meant that I couldn’t use it to guide me. I always have a person or my cane guiding me, so I felt quite strange and anxious. I was the only one of us that didn’t beep. So my Mum and Dad were taken to one side to be searched. The man on the scanner made a point of telling the body searching staff that I was with them but I hadn’t beeped. I tried to move nearer to my Mum and Dad to get out of the way and they wouldn’t let me anywhere near them. I was just stood, not really sure which way I was going or not going until they had finished. I was just kind of stood in the way. 

After we had finished in security we had the fun job of finding the gate. We looked around for the pink zones that were mentioned. Eventually we found a pink machine that was out of order. Not very useful at all. That was the nearest thing we saw to a pink zone. 

Getting onto the plane was amazing! We had to go up the stairs and not an air bridge which I really don’t mind. It’s not the same getting an air bridge. I love going outside and seeing a massive plane. I was so excited. I walked up the stairs at my own pace, trying to concentrate on where I was walking and staring at the plane both at the same time was quite difficult. But I didn’t feel rushed by anybody which was nice. A lady from the cabin crew was stood by the plane door trying her best to help me onto the plane and I accidently headbutted her! Oops! I apologised and she was fine… I hope. But there was an announcement before we took off about their friendly behaviour policy. My Dad was joking saying that they only played that announcement because of me. 

When we landed in Alicante, the staff saw me with my cane and let us straight through, while everybody else had to queue around barriers. Straight away we all thought, that is so different to the airport at home. This was one of the few moments where my sight loss came in useful. I smiled as we walked past them all feeling very pleased with myself. 

However, while we were actually on holiday, I found a lot of things not very accessible. Hardly anywhere had accessible toilets and the few places that had ramps where very narrow wobbly ones that were just placed over steps. Again, completely different to at home, but in the other way. People just didn’t seem to understand or recognise what my cane was for. I am not sure whether they are actually used in Spain or not, but even other tourists just ignored it. I wasn’t really after any special treatment, just a bit of space to get around. I did have one positive experience though in a wildlife park.  We went to see a dolphin show and they let us sit on the front row. It was still hard to see and we got quite wet, but it was very nice for them to let me do this. 

We also went on a coach trip to Valencia. The travel rep was very nice and had saved some seats for us near the front of the coach. However when we got to Valencia she was supposed to be taking us to the meeting point for coming back and everybody left us. We couldn’t catch up and lost them very quickly. 

We all really enjoyed our holiday, but the support for visually impaired people was very unpredictable. 

My Tramlines Weekend - Ken

The Tramlines music festival took place on Friday 19 July for 3 consecutive days at Hillsborough Park Sheffield.

I, along with my PA plus my guide dog Barley attended all 3 days.

We arrived at our destination via the Super Tram and located the special admission entrance which saved us standing in a long queue.

We were issued with wrist bands which we wore throughout the 3 days, which saved us having to produce our tickets every time we were admitted. The first 200 attendees received a voucher for a free drink at one of the bars scattered around the sight.

Initially we walked around to determine where each stage was situated as there were 3 to choose from, the main stage, the Leadmill, plus the Library stage. Eventually we managed to obtain a programme with details of who was appearing on each of the 3 stages and on which day and time.

There were lots of food and drink stalls around selling a variety of food attracting lots of people to purchase their goods although they were very pricey.

The weather was cloudy on our arrival and the heavens opened around 6pm turning the solid ground into a wet, slippery and muddy surface. However that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm and enjoyment of the crowds that attended.

There were portable toilets scattered around the sight which you had to be desperate to use but you know what to expect at a music festival.  

Appearing on the main stage, amongst other performers, was a group from Liverpool who sounded professional, tight and varied their style to accommodate different tastes. The Manic Street Preachers appeared next playing there most famous songs and performed the Guns and Roses track Sweet Child Of Mine which the lead guitarist performed superbly the well-known middle solo.  Finally to round off the first evening, the Two Door Cinema Club concluded the first nights entertainment which most of the people attending enjoyed.

My PA and I proceeded to the Super Tram stop for a return journey to town. There were long Queues but a representative from the Super Tram instructed us to walk to the front of the queue and await further instruction.  When the next tram arrived he guided us on to the vehicle and pointed to a couple of seats near the front for us to occupy.  When it came to disembarking from the tram, there were so many passengers stood up that some of them had to disembark, allowing us to do likewise before they climbed back on board to resume their journey.

One of my dear friends joined us for the 2nd day of the music festival. It had been raining heavily throughout the morning. Most people on arrival at the site expected the ground to be a quagmire but surprisingly it was firm and the afternoon and evening became very pleasant and warm.

We arrived in time to see the Everly Pregnant Brothers who are a comic group changing the words of famous songs to incorporate their own rendition of the tune. We then decided to walk to the Leadmill stage which was inside a tent but the thrashing loud music didn’t appeal to either of us so we left and had a walk to the Old Fashioned clothes fair which was on display. We then returned to listen to Miles Kane who along with his band was superb playing an outstanding version of Donna Summer’s Hot Stuff. Next to appear were Sheffield’s own Reverend and the Makers who were very entertaining and performed brilliantly. Their rhythmic playing got everybody dancing and they received a tumultuous reception on arrival and on conclusion of their program. Half an hour later Johnny Marr performed songs including some of the tunes made famous by the Smiths which he was an original member of. His guitar playing was outstanding. Finally to round off the evening, the Courteeners performed playing a variety of tunes both fast and slow which was superbly received by fans of music.     

A couple of our friends kindly offered us a lift from the venue which we gratefully accepted. The first two evenings concluded at around 10pm.

The final day had been sold out for weeks and the weather was gloriously sunny. We set off early in order to catch the Happy Monday’s who were performing on the main stage at 1:30pm and we were not disappointed on our arrival. They were superb and displayed skill, entertainment and some cracking rhythms to listen to. Two bands with differing styles which I was unfamiliar with appeared next. In-between sets, my PA and myself walked to the front of the stage to watch the roadies strip down the equipment and off the stage while another set of roadies set up the equipment for the next performing band, all within half an hour. During this process, I bought a Tramlines 2019 t’shirt for a special friend.

We then decided to walk to the Leadmill stage to listen to Peter Hook and the Light. Peter was an original member of Joy Division and latterly New Order. Peter and his superb musicians performed tracks by Joy Division and New Order. The tent was packed and the atmosphere was electric. On completion of their hour spot the audience were singing Love Will Keep Us Apart long after the group had departed from the stage. It turned out to be a memorable and enjoyable gig.

With the singing still ringing in our ears we returned to the main stage in anticipation plus excitement of watching and listening to The Rag And Bone Man who along with his backing singers plus the musicians backing him gave a superb performance playing songs he had written himself. The spot we chose was ideal with the sound coming across crystal clear. 

Finally it was down to Nile Rodgers and Chic to conclude the festival and they didn’t disappoint playing a variety of sole songs which Nile had written for various artists including Chic, Cool and the Gang, David Bowie and Diana Ross. He more or less had the packed audience eating out of his hands finishing the set just before 9 pm. It was a memorable 3 days. We took away lots of happy, interesting and superb musical memories. Barley my Guide Dog received so many strokes and cuddles that she was in her element and behaved superbly coping very well with the vast crowds she had to contend with.

The journey back to the city centre was delightful with people singing their hearts out sounding in a very good mood with some of them already looking forward to next year’s Tramlines Festival. 

Para Archery World Championship - Phil

Hi everyone

My name is Phillip Tranter and I have been asked to write a blog about my experiences as a blind archer at the Para Archery World Championship in Holland in June 2019.

I was extremely pleased and honoured to be chosen to attend the Championships, along with my full time spotter Marina. Even though I had a place, I knew it was going to be tough, as I had been having a few issues with my performance. Realistically, I was hoping to achieve a good placement, if I was able to medal, it would be absolutely terrific!

We found out the attendance at the Worlds this year was the highest ever with 301 athletes due to compete. For the visually impaired section, we had 17 athletes from 9 different countries, also a record for us.

We flew out to Holland on Saturday 1st of June and met up with the rest of the team at our Hotel in Koningshof. Following our orientation to the hotel, which was a vast 3 storey complex, set in its own largely wooded grounds, we settled in and got our bearings. A meeting after dinner was arranged and we went over the itinerary for the next few days. Our venue for the Championship was at a large Rugby field in Eindhoven  and we had to adhere strictly to the time slots given to us.

Sunday was a sunny and very warm day, 30 degrees, this was our official practice session of 3 hours. This included, the setting up and removal of equipment, so we had to make the most of the time given. The field was very busy, with a total of 40 targets in use. We had 9 targets, which were set at 30 metre distance. The other targets were for the archers with physical disabilities and set at distances of 50 and 70 metres. When practice was finished, we went to see the other Team GB archers, to catch up on how they were. 

Over the next two days we all would have Elimination and Head to Head rounds. When we were not actually shooting, then we would be supporting and cheering on our compatriots.

In the elimination round, I managed to come 5th, which I was quite pleased with. This meant, on Tuesday, I was going head to head with Mark Schrand from the USA, who had come 4th. Whoever won this round, would go forward to contest the Bronze Medal.

Tuesday afternoon, was another cloudy but warm day, storm showers were expected later. I was nervous and tried hard to contain this in the run up to the match. The scoring system for the round was, 12 arrows each, in rounds of 3. The highest score was awarded 2 points, a tie was 1 point each, first to 6 points was the winner. I managed to win my head to head 6 points to 2. I was mightily relieved to have progressed through to contest the Bronze medal. 

Later that evening the storm arrived, with loud thunder claps, brilliant flashes of lightening , hail and torrential rain, lasting well past midnight. Thankfully, by the time finals took place at 2pm, it was dry and sunny again.

The Bronze medal match was against my fellow team mate Nick Thomas, it’s always more difficult to shoot against someone who you know. The scoring system was the same, first to 6 points was the winner. We were close in scores, but each time Nick managed to get one or two points more than me. Alas, he won 6-0, I will have to hope for a rematch if we get to the Europeans next year. Even so, I am still ranked 4th in the World. Steve Prowse won Gold, for team GB, his 3rd World title.

After a mad dash back to the hotel to eat and pack, we were on our way back to the airport by 9pm. We arrived at our hotel at 10.30 pm and were just in time for a quick celebratory drink before bed and an early flight home the next day.

The Light - Amy

Today is the International Day of Light (May 16th), so I thought that I would write something to explain what a difference the light makes to somebody who is visually impaired. 

For me, I LOVE British Summer Time hours. Long light days mean that I can be more independent, for longer. In the dark I can’t see well at all, I am not confident going out alone in the dark. If I do, I get a taxi and I sometimes need help from the driver with getting into the taxi and walking me to the door when we arrive. When I am in the taxi I find it quite hard to tell where we are. I put my total trust and faith into the driver and hope that they get me there safe. What does help is when businesses and iconic buildings have decorative lighting or big clear signs that are lit up. For example I know I am near town when I see the big old building with the blue lights by the roundabout. And I know I am nearly home when I see the lights from the petrol station near my road. They help me a great deal to recognise where I am and also follow my journey and feel confident that we are going the right way. Busses, trams and walking alone are not an option for me at all when it is dark. If I am with somebody that I know well and trust then I am fine, but if not then I am just not confident enough. Talking busses and trams do help a lot and if it was guaranteed on every bus and tram every time, then maybe I would venture out in the dark. But I have heard stories of bus drivers turning the talking off because it annoys them, how true that is I don’t know. And so far in Sheffield, talking busses are just on one route, the 120 route. This is a bus I only usually use to travel through the city centre, so it is very helpful, but not a bus I use all of the time. And as I do not live near a tram stop it is quite rare that I use the tram. 

Light evenings mean that instead of aiming to be home for 4pm, I can aim to be home for 8pm or later. That is a massive difference. Depending on where I am travelling from and how confident I feel, I sometimes want to set off before it even starts to go dark. Twilight is worse than the dark in some ways. It is so disorientating. So in winter, this means leaving at around 3pm! Coming home in the light means that I can see where my house is, so that I can tell the taxi driver when to stop, more accurately. Plus they can read my house number easier when it is light. If I am confident with the route I may even decide to get the bus home. This does depend on how busy the busses are likely to be though. I do avoid going on busses alone during busy times as they are scary and hard to find a seat. Also if a lot of people are stood up, it is hard to see through the windows, so I will struggle to follow where we are and recognise my stop. 

Being in a well lit environment is also very beneficial for me. In a dull or very shaded environment I find it hard to see what I am doing, I find it hard to see where potential hazards are and I find it hard to look for things. Some restaurants and bars are so dull, the flooring is dull, the furniture is dull, the walls are dull and they hardly have any lights on!  Why???  It makes things so difficult. I understand the whole ambience thing, if they want to sit in the dark then fine, but they could do more to help. Like having the furniture a completely different colour to the flooring, so that there is a big contrast. Make it look funky with all bright, random colours and styles. Making doors and door frames a different colour to the rest of the walls. Make lighting good enough to read the menus and see your food.  There have been occasions where somebody I know has used their torch on their phone just to read menus. And she has quite good sight. I just don’t understand the logic of how some places are designed. One thing that I have noticed is that some places seem to forget that making things accessible, also means making things accessible for visually impaired people. Not just people with a physical disability. 

This is just a description of what is right for me. Everybody’s sight is different and some people really struggle with the light and brightness. That would be better described by somebody else. So if you are one of these people then please tell us what you think?

The London Marathon. Interview with Nicky.

This time we have decided to try a new way of doing the blog and have decided to do an interview. So this blog post has been written based on the answers to the questions we gave Nicky and the discussion between her and Amy:  

Nicky has always been visually impaired and has not known any different. She finds reading and writing very difficult and uses a guide dog to help her to get out and about and stay as independent as possible. However she hates shopping and does most of her shopping online. Her two favourite pieces of equipment are her iPad and her Apple watch. She told me that she doesn’t know where she would be without them. She uses her apple watch to give herself daily goals and achieve them. 

Nicky had always wanted to run, but never thought it was possible because of her sight loss. She was visiting the gym one day and spoke to her gym instructor at the time, Craig. He said to Nicky “We can do that”.

With his motivation and support she started running and her love and confidence for it grew. She worked her way up to doing at 10K race in preparation for a half marathon. The opportunity then came along through SRSB for Nicky to take part in the London Marathon. She had always watched the London Marathon on TV but never even dreamed that one day she would be running it herself. Craig really had boosted Nicky’s confidence and helped her to stop doubting herself and her abilities. She describes him as ‘the lovely Craig’. He guided her while she was running the marathon. Since doing the London Marathon Nicky has taken part in three more 10K races. 

She hasn’t always been an active person. Around ten years ago it came to a point in her life when she realised that she needed to do more exercise. She had been yo-yo dieting for years and had realised that she should work on her fitness. Her sight problems had always been a big barrier with this. Gyms can be very daunting places, especially when you are visually impaired. So she felt like there were a lot of things that she couldn’t do, or that would be too difficult. 

As well as running Nicky also enjoys tandem riding, walking and swimming. She also enjoys going to the cinema. 

She enjoys using the Ponds Forge gym in Sheffield because it is easy to get to and she has got to know the instructors quite well. I asked Nicky if more support was needed to help visually impaired people get into exercise and fitness. She told me that the support she got at Ponds Forge was very good, but other gyms and leisure centres vary a lot when it comes to understanding disabilities and offering the right support. Some are really good and some are awful. She said that it would be helpful if any existing VI gym members would make themselves available to show potential new gym users around and introduce them to people. This might help them to feel less alone and they would have somebody to chat to.

Nicky is unsure of her future in running as she is due to have surgery on her knee. She thinks that she will probably no longer be able to run, but she is staying positive and is going to take up tandem riding instead. 

She feels that she has gained a lot of confidence from doing the marathon, and she now believes that she can do anything if she puts her mind to it. She feels comfortable with leaving her life in somebody else’s hands and just having fun. 

On a personal note I heard Nicky’s story a few years ago on the news and she is the one that inspired me to take up trampolining again. I realised that if somebody who is visually impaired can run the London Marathon, then I have no excuse to not at least try trampolining. So thank you so much Nicky for sharing your story, inspiring me, and no doubt inspiring many others too. 
Amy.