Meeting the stars…

As I briefly mentioned in last night’s post, I went to Madame Tussauds on Wednesday. We had complimentary tickets given to us by Thorpe Park following my negative experience back in October. However, they run out at the end of this month and we didn’t want to waste them, even if they were free. So, after a successful train journey (I’ll post about it soon) to St. Pancras and quick taxi ride to Marylebone Road, it was time to enter the world famous wax museum.  I’ve been desperate to visit all my life but haven’t managed to. The wait was definitely worth it.

Seeing pictures of the models doesn’t do them justice. Most of them are incredibly accurate and look so real. I’ve never met most of the celebrities but I was concerned that it was the real person who was going to jump out. Luckily no one was real otherwise I might have had to get changed. As well as taking loads of photos (some were rude), I decided to make some wax hands in the shape of 2-0 as a nod to Theo Walcott’s gesture towards Tottenham fans back in early January. Trust me to shoehorn something Arsenal related into the day.

Access wise. I had no problems. The lifts were all working and the staff bent over backwards to help us.  That’s important to me because if there were issues, I would have enjoyed my time less. The only part I could not access was a slow moving ride but I don’t think I missed out on much.

I have selected a few photos, which will hopefully give you a taste of the brilliant day I had. If you haven’t been before, I’d recommend going, as it’s the original and by far the best. I’ve been to Louis Tussauds in Blackpool before (taken over by Madame Tussauds now) but that was atrocious by comparison. I saw a few dodgy models such as the Robbie Williams one but overall, the museum of famous people is a great way to spend a few hours in London.

Bye for now!

David Cameron has got such a punchable face...

Had to cup golden balls...

The names Boy, Wheelchair Boy,,,

The rumours are true...

Almost 6 hours later…

I’ve had a busy couple of days for one reason or another (hence the lack of posts recently) so I thought I’d explain what has been going on in the life of ‘Wheelchair Boy’. I’ll start with my trip to the Heart Hospital on Tuesday. At the end of January, I had a 72-hour ECG and I was simply going to see if the doctor had any concerns arising from the results. However, my appointment was at 11.15 and even though we arrived half an hour early, was not seen until 15.00.

The waiting around wasn’t due to a problem with my heart because I was fine thankfully. It was just because the NHS is clearly understaffed and cannot deal with the sheer number of patients. I had another ECG and Echo before seeing the doctor. Both tests are pretty simple and should be done within half an hour. We waited around for ages though as the tests were done separately. I’m sure some people were seen who arrived after us but I couldn’t be bothered to kick up a fuss.

After all that, we went up to the main clinic waiting room where we sat patiently (no pun intended) for another couple of hours. Luckily I had my iPad and phone with me so wasn’t totally bored. When I was called in, it wasn’t the main doctor. Instead, a doctor and trainee from his team. Always a good sign as it means my tests results did not raise any worrying issues. She told me I was stable, booked me in for next year (all being well) and dismissed me. Yes, we waited all that time for a brief conversation but she gave positive news regarding my condition so I was happy.

We left the hospital at 15.30 so by the time I got home, had dinner and wrote a post for my football blog, it was time for the Arsenal on the T.V. Yesterday was another long day which prevented me from writing a post but I’ll tell you all about my exciting trip to Madame Tussauds tomorrow.

Bye for now!

Not happening…

There are three searches currently going on in my life but I’m having absolutely no luck with any of them. I only started looking for a holiday back in January but it’s nearly summer (the glorious weather over the weekend proved that) so time is running out. Typing in ‘accessible villa California’ throws up so many results that I just want to give up and accept that I’ll be having a staycationn in sunny England s. Maybe I’ve limited myself by deciding that I want to visit the West Coast of America. Perhaps, I’ll have to stick to getting a disabled friendly villa with a private pool in Europe. Tried and tested Spain anyone?

My second search is for a place I can move out to. This has been a hope of mine since I turned 18 and could legally live independently of my parents. However, that was put on the backburners as University would offer me a way out.It did and having a small room in student accommodation was probably the best part of my Brunel experience. But that particular adventure ended after a few months and I was soon back home. For the past year and a bit, I have been onto the council, housing associations, parliament and even private landlords but no one is interested in the slightest.

The quest for love is also on going and has been for most of my life. After years of trying, it’s still proving the most difficult search of them all. I’m still online dating (as that seems to be the way people meet nowadays) but I find it immensely frustrating. I start chatting to a girl then she disappears or we’re talking for ages and getting on but she doesn’t want to meet. It’s like don’t message me in the first place. I know that women think they’re letting you down gently but it has quite the opposite effect. I’d much rather be ignored so I know where I ‘stand’.

Unlike with the hand cycling, I’m not raising the white flag but I just thought I’d update you all on my various searches although one word would probably suffice. RUBBISH.

Bye for now!

Care Bill conference…

A few weeks ago, I received a letter inviting me to attend a conference in Hatfield regarding a new Care Bill that is currently going through Parliament. I’m not too sure why but I put my serious adult hat on and booked up a place for my carer & I. It seemed like a mistake this morning when I had to getup at 8.30 (early for me) but at the very least, it would give me a subject to blog about. The day was quite boring and therefore tiring but couple of interesting thoughts entered my head that I want to write about.

The main conclusion that I drew from listening to various keynote speakers today including Sebastian Habibi from the Department of Health was that this care bill is a complete waste of time. After hours of explanation, I still don’t understand what this piece of legislation will do. That’s not ‘Wheelchair Boy’ being slow. I just cannot see any noticeable changes and how my life will improve when the act is introduced in March 2015. In my opinion, the change in law is a way for the government to distract from the plethora of welfare cuts.

An issue that arose and I feel very passionate about is the mandatory contribution to care. As soon as disabled people turn 18, they are expected to pay towards carers. Fair enough if you’re wealthy and can afford it but the majority of disabled people do not have bundles of money. For example, I cannot work and have absolutely no money (except benefits which is a pittance compared to the average wage) but still have to contribute. I see that as discrimination because a normal person does not require support and have to pay an extra ‘tax’. It’s not as if I chose to have Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA).

I’ve got another early start tomorrow, but this time it’s for the Arsenal so hopefully will be worth it. Eventhough after our loss last Saturday, I did question why I get up relatively early just for a football match and travel to far-flung places such as Stoke. I know that it’s lunacy of the highest order but, just like FA, my loyalty to the Gunners is an affliction that I will suffer forever.

Bye for now!

Can’t touch this…

Before I begin my post, a quick note. Readers who come back every day for their fix of ‘Wheelchair Boy’ would have been slightly concerned that I broke my New Year’s promise of a post a day. I’ve managed it for two and bit months but yesterday, realised that it’s practically impossible. Sometimes I’m busy and it would make my life easier if I skipped a post (I end up getting stressed otherwise). Also, my life is not always that interesting so a daily post is not warranted. I’ll blog most days but just a warning that the subjects I can write about run dry at times.

When it comes to changing mobile phones, there is little choice nowadays. Pretty much all-decent handsets are touchscreen. Not a problem to most but due to my shaky hands and lack of co-ordination, I find typing without physical buttons extremely difficult. It took a while but I now have no problems using with my iPad so it’s probably a case of getting accustomed to an on-screen keyboard. However, a tablet has a larger screen compared to a mobile so it’s no wonder I find typing on that much easier than a phone.

Obviously, there are plenty of mobiles with buttons on but none are as good as their touchscreen competitors. The main alternative for me back in 2012 was a Blackberry but I have realised they are awful and have many issues such as the fact it keeps freezing all the time. All of the other handsets with traditional keys are too basic for a young (and cool) man like me. Yes, I want a disabled friendly phone but I still want to take pictures, access the Internet and download apps such as Twitter and WhatsApp. Just like a normal 20 year old.

My mobile contract doesn’t come to an end in until August but I have already begun my hunt for a new handset. It might sound ages away but five months is actually not that long. I mean three months ago it was Christmas and look how quickly the time has flown by. Also, It seems like yesterday I excitedly posted about my brand new Bold 9900 but it was nearly two years ago. Before I know it, I’ll have to get a new phone and as choosing a product that suits me takes a lot of consideration, I thought I’d start looking now.

Bye for now!

Get real…

As you know, I enjoy writing about football and last month, I launched my own blog called ATeamEffort (http://ateameffort.wordpress.com). Not as many people as I would have liked are getting involved but it’s only early days so I might get more fans of the beautiful game who want to air their opinions in the future. At the moment, it’s just a West Brom fan and me who post. Not that our articles aren’t interesting but the content needs a bit of variation to attract more readers. Anyway, I‘m glad I set the site up because it has given me a platform to share my work and get my name out there.

So much so that I received a Tweet the other day from @Getrealfc asking me if I would like to blog for their site (http://www.getrealpremier.com). After a brief e-mail discussion, where I discovered that GetReal has a popular site dedicated to Hockey, I agreed to be a contributor.  I am quite excited to be chosen as they reach a lot more football fans than ATeamEffort does and they’re trying to expand even more as a brand. I might become a famous pundit and then people will have to start taking my madcap views on football seriously.

I will keep running ATeamEffort so again, anyone who wants to write for me should get in touch. I just thought I’d share the news and do a little bit of self-promotion while I’m at it (http://www.getrealpremier.com/author/glen-shorey/). Some posts will appear on both sites because I don’t have the time to be writing multiple entries. That way, it will also increase the reach because people will read the article on either blog.

Writing about football (I know that sounds boring to many) is one of the things that ‘Wheelchair Boy’ does during the day aside from writing this blog you are currently reading.

Bye for now!

Still time…

There’s less than 2 weeks left to enter the competition that I’m running on behalf of DisabledGo. The prize is a £50 voucher to spend in their brand new disability store so, if that sounds appealing, get involved now. The finer details were explained when I launched the giveaway on February 14^th (http://theadventuresofwheelchairboy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/competition-time.html). Remember, there are numerous ways to get your name in the raffle so check out how to get multiple entries by reading the post in full. The more times you enter, the better chance you will have of winning. Pretty obvious really.

I realise that the majority of my regular readers are not disabled so probably don’t have any interest in a £50 voucher to spend on mobility equipment, wheelchair ramps or living aids. However, you must surely have a family member who would appreciate something from the shop. Even if it’s an old person who now finds walking or other tasks difficult. Just think about it before you totally dismiss entering the competition.

Since starting the competition a few weeks ago, I have definitely had an increase in traffic to my blog thanks to the daily shout out from DisabledGo on Twitter. So if you’re one of these new readers, thanks for coming back. I’m also grateful to people who have been following ‘Wheelchair Boy’ since the beginning nearly two years ago. All the support does mean a lot but I especially like it when you get engaged with the posts by commenting or tweeting me. Otherwise, I do start thinking why do I bother?

Good luck! Only 13 days and 7 hours remaining (depending on when you’re reading this post).

Bye for now!