Before I begin, I feel must apologise for the cringeworthy headline above. It’s probably worse than ‘Let’s get quizzical…’ as far as embarrassing attempts at humour go. I do not even know what ‘Generosity wheeled the cat…’ means because, contrary to what I have suggested, this post is not about felines. It is however about how generous people have been to me over the past month or so.
When I first set up the Crowdfunding campaign back in March to raise the money needed for a new wheelchair transfer system, I did not think that I would get to the £1000 mark by the deadline let alone the target of £3734. However, I was completely blown away (I am starting to run out of superlatives to describe how I felt) that people’s generosity took me past the aforementioned figure with over a week left.
As I mentioned in a previous post, my friend (Sophie Hudson) and I had already organized a pub quiz (I probably should describe it as ‘huge’ because of the sheer amount of people who turned up in the end) and could not cancel it because of the hard work we had put into securing a venue (Slug & Lettuce), getting a sponsor (SA Law), persuading companies to donate raffle prizes (see list below) etc. You probably will not believe this but the night raised a further £1148.31, which is incredible for one single event.
So not only did I raise enough for the ‘Carony Classic’ but with the extra money donated, I now can afford a ‘FM Hearing System’. Both pieces of equipment are vital and will improve my quality of life significantly. To think that just over a month ago I couldn’t afford either is truly unbelievable. I hope everyone knows just how grateful I am for all the support (thanks to those who donated and also to everyone who made the quiz a tremendous success last Thursday) but if you do not… THANK YOU!
Now that the fundraising is over, I have ordered the chair so I’m just waiting for the seat to be delivered (I will upload a picture when it’s here) and then hopefully the mechanics will be able to fit the system into my car without a problem. Hearing aid wise, I have seen one online but will be able to weigh up my options when I go to the hearing aid shop in town later this week.
Bye for now!
Thank you to all these wonderful companies/individuals who donated raffle prizes and in the case of SA Law, sponsored the evening.
• John Lewis
• San-Rizz
• Relish Real Burgers
• Côte Brasserie
• St. Michael’s Manor
• Everyone Active
• Alban Arena
• Hob Salons
• Lush
• Greys Hair and Body
• The Entertainer
• Wilde About Hair
• Millie Hudson
• Slug & Lettuce
• SA Law
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
Monday, 20 April 2015
Put a cross in the box…
I mentioned the importance of voting in my second and final upload when I dipped my toe in the Vlogging pool last month. Amidst the obscene swearing and cringeworthy (but spot on) impression of a Russell Brand follower was the serious message that everyone, who is entitled to, should have a say in the 2015 United Kingdom General Election. Polling day is not actually for another two-and-a-half weeks (May 7th) but the reason that I am posting now is that the deadline for UK citizens to register to vote is today at midnight.
Do not worry, I am not going to do what seems to be popular over the past few days and dictate to people who are disenchanted with politics to register on the electoral role (eventhough I sort of did in that second video). People seem to forget we live in a free country so if someone decides that voting is a waste of time and they do not want to participate in the process, it’s their prerogative to abstain. No one person can say whether that makes them good or bad. However, I have to be honest and say that not voting is quite a selfish act.
Not only are the non-voters insulting the legacy of those brave people who sacrificed their lives for democracy (the two World War’s) and the ability to vote (the Suffrage movement), they are also consigning the most vulnerable members of society like myself to attacks from a ConDem government. Hardly fair is it? I am not a die-hard supporter of any party and know full well that a coalition of Labour and SNP could be equally as dodgy. That’s why I think getting the 34.9% of the country who did not turn out back in 2010 to vote is so important.
That is over a third of the country who just do not bother to go to their local polling station, simply put a cross on a piece of paper and pop it into a ballot box. Even worse is the knowledge that the figure of those who do not vote could increase thanks to the revolutionary nonsense spewing out of the mouth of morons like Russell Brand (who is slowly becoming everything he hates). The main argument from those who reject their right to vote is that all the parties are similar and the only change is the colour of their ties.
The answer though is not to turn your back on politics, it’s to become more involved. If you want a real revolution and proper change, how about all the abstainers actually get together and vote for an independent candidate. For example, 11.9% of the electorate voted for others (outside the main three parties) at the last General Election so if the 34.9% of ‘wannabe Brands’ voted for different to the norm, there would be no more Cameron, Clegg and Miliband hogging all the power. Those who did not vote last time could have a pivotal say and ruffle a few feathers in Westminster.
If the whole concept of registering to vote is news to you, I would like to know what rock you have been hiding under? Seriously though, it is not too late (unless you’re reading this after the 20th) so do not hesitate clicking this link: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. The form is simple and will take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. Just have your National Insurance number at the ready. Even if you have no intention of voting, just register in case what I have said does sink in and you change your mind by the time the election does come around. Better to be safe than sorry…
Bye for now!
P.S.
Apologies if this post has been boring and has turned into a rant in certain places but everyone seems to be having their say on the subject of voting so I thought it was ‘Wheelchair Boy’s turn to air his opinion. If I have not convinced you, so be it but remember that next time you’re moaning about almost anything (except the weather because that’s out of the government’s hands).
Do not worry, I am not going to do what seems to be popular over the past few days and dictate to people who are disenchanted with politics to register on the electoral role (eventhough I sort of did in that second video). People seem to forget we live in a free country so if someone decides that voting is a waste of time and they do not want to participate in the process, it’s their prerogative to abstain. No one person can say whether that makes them good or bad. However, I have to be honest and say that not voting is quite a selfish act.
Not only are the non-voters insulting the legacy of those brave people who sacrificed their lives for democracy (the two World War’s) and the ability to vote (the Suffrage movement), they are also consigning the most vulnerable members of society like myself to attacks from a ConDem government. Hardly fair is it? I am not a die-hard supporter of any party and know full well that a coalition of Labour and SNP could be equally as dodgy. That’s why I think getting the 34.9% of the country who did not turn out back in 2010 to vote is so important.
That is over a third of the country who just do not bother to go to their local polling station, simply put a cross on a piece of paper and pop it into a ballot box. Even worse is the knowledge that the figure of those who do not vote could increase thanks to the revolutionary nonsense spewing out of the mouth of morons like Russell Brand (who is slowly becoming everything he hates). The main argument from those who reject their right to vote is that all the parties are similar and the only change is the colour of their ties.
The answer though is not to turn your back on politics, it’s to become more involved. If you want a real revolution and proper change, how about all the abstainers actually get together and vote for an independent candidate. For example, 11.9% of the electorate voted for others (outside the main three parties) at the last General Election so if the 34.9% of ‘wannabe Brands’ voted for different to the norm, there would be no more Cameron, Clegg and Miliband hogging all the power. Those who did not vote last time could have a pivotal say and ruffle a few feathers in Westminster.
If the whole concept of registering to vote is news to you, I would like to know what rock you have been hiding under? Seriously though, it is not too late (unless you’re reading this after the 20th) so do not hesitate clicking this link: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. The form is simple and will take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. Just have your National Insurance number at the ready. Even if you have no intention of voting, just register in case what I have said does sink in and you change your mind by the time the election does come around. Better to be safe than sorry…
Bye for now!
P.S.
Apologies if this post has been boring and has turned into a rant in certain places but everyone seems to be having their say on the subject of voting so I thought it was ‘Wheelchair Boy’s turn to air his opinion. If I have not convinced you, so be it but remember that next time you’re moaning about almost anything (except the weather because that’s out of the government’s hands).
Thursday, 9 April 2015
Let’s get quizzical...
For the past month or so, my amazing friend (Sophie Hudson) and I have been organizing a quiz night to help raise funds for the new wheelchair transfer system that I so badly need. As you will know if you’re a regular reader, the ‘Carony Classic’ costs £3734 in total and I thought I would not even get close to the target figure so I’m utterly astounded that I have reached my target with 10 days to spare. The fundraising event at the Slug & Lettuce in St. Albans next Thursday will still go ahead as planned but any extra money raised will go towards another expensive piece of equipment I need; the FM hearing system (that I have spoke about in previous posts).
I knew that it cost a fair bit because the NHS are not prepared to fund it but I have only just discovered that the price of the whole system is £1300. Unfortunately, this is more proof that everything is ridiculously priced when it comes to disability. I’m not suggesting that I will reach the stretch target in 10 days but I’m just pointing out that any money made from hear (get it?) on in will go towards the FM System. If you planned to donate to the chair, I would very much appreciate it if you now chipped into my hearing aid pot: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/carony-classic-wheelchair-system
If you do fancy your chances in a quiz, want to win some great raffle prizes or would like to meet the famous ‘Wheelchair Boy’ visit the Facebook event for more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/776911342386542/
Or if you don’t do social media, please read this invitation:
Bye for now!
I knew that it cost a fair bit because the NHS are not prepared to fund it but I have only just discovered that the price of the whole system is £1300. Unfortunately, this is more proof that everything is ridiculously priced when it comes to disability. I’m not suggesting that I will reach the stretch target in 10 days but I’m just pointing out that any money made from hear (get it?) on in will go towards the FM System. If you planned to donate to the chair, I would very much appreciate it if you now chipped into my hearing aid pot: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/carony-classic-wheelchair-system
If you do fancy your chances in a quiz, want to win some great raffle prizes or would like to meet the famous ‘Wheelchair Boy’ visit the Facebook event for more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/776911342386542/
Or if you don’t do social media, please read this invitation:
Bye for now!
Tuesday, 7 April 2015
Stick to the writing…
You know me! Get an idea in my head, run with it (not literally obviously) for a little while then decide it’s not working out as I had hoped and pack it in. I’ll try ALMOST anything but if it’s not going swimmingly, I’ll simply knock it on the head. It’s not that I give up on things easily, I just believe that life is too short to do stuff that causes you stress. Sometimes in life you have no choice but to face stress front on and find a way to overcome it/deal with it but my mantra is if there is an option to eradicate stress completely from your life, grab it with both hands.
So that’s why I have decided to call it a day with my YouTube channel after two whole uploads. I know some people enjoyed the first one, especially as I didn’t swear, but I wasn’t enjoying the making process and found it quite infuriating. I know you are all probably thinking, “How can shooting and editing a video be stressful?” and that is exactly what I would’ve thought before. However, it’s surprisingly more difficult than it looks. For every one clip, I had to do 20+ takes because I kept making massive mistakes. Even then, what I said wasn’t coming out perfectly. Also the audio was out of sync with the footage, which made editing tricky and time consuming.
The only good thing about this little ‘Vlogging’ experiment is that it has illustrated (for those who have not had the privilege to meet me) that I find speaking quite hard. It’s not just that I find the physical act of talking tiring and often run out of breathe mid sentence but I as well have difficulties verbalising my thoughts. There seems to be some sort of mental block that prevents me from getting out my words and forming intellectual sentences. I seem to go off on sweary rants and don’t present myself well. When I write, I think you get a preferable version of me and more people seem to like that.
Bye for now!
So that’s why I have decided to call it a day with my YouTube channel after two whole uploads. I know some people enjoyed the first one, especially as I didn’t swear, but I wasn’t enjoying the making process and found it quite infuriating. I know you are all probably thinking, “How can shooting and editing a video be stressful?” and that is exactly what I would’ve thought before. However, it’s surprisingly more difficult than it looks. For every one clip, I had to do 20+ takes because I kept making massive mistakes. Even then, what I said wasn’t coming out perfectly. Also the audio was out of sync with the footage, which made editing tricky and time consuming.
The only good thing about this little ‘Vlogging’ experiment is that it has illustrated (for those who have not had the privilege to meet me) that I find speaking quite hard. It’s not just that I find the physical act of talking tiring and often run out of breathe mid sentence but I as well have difficulties verbalising my thoughts. There seems to be some sort of mental block that prevents me from getting out my words and forming intellectual sentences. I seem to go off on sweary rants and don’t present myself well. When I write, I think you get a preferable version of me and more people seem to like that.
Bye for now!
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Video killed the writing star...
Maybe the word "killed" is a tad over-dramatic because I am going to continue to write on this blog but seeing as my posts are few and far between at the moment, I have decided to set up a 'Wheelchair Boy' YouTube channel. Whether the world is ready to see or hear Wheelchair Boy is yet to be seen but I thought I may as well try. If it turns out no likes my videos, I'll have to stick to the writing. I have only done one upload so far (although a few other videos such as my SkyDive can be found on the channel) but after watching it back, I've realised I'm extremely cringe-worthy so will understand if people can't bare to watch.
I put my first vlog up earlier today so I hope you enjoy it (feel free to laugh at me)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa3abcuDecM I'm not sure when the next upload will be live but subscribe and you won't miss out (my next video will be pretty awesome even if I do say so myself).
Also, while I'm on here, a quick update about the fundraising.Thank you again to every single one of my 76 backers who have pledged an incredible £2370 (63% ofs the target). The deadline was going to be a week today but luckily I have managed to extend the end to the 19th April because of a quiz night my friend and I are organizing. Details will be announced shortly. Please continue to share this link: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/carony-classic-wheelchair-system because I won't rest easy until I've reached the 100% mark and I'm still not convinced I will reach it.
Bye for now!
I put my first vlog up earlier today so I hope you enjoy it (feel free to laugh at me)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa3abcuDecM I'm not sure when the next upload will be live but subscribe and you won't miss out (my next video will be pretty awesome even if I do say so myself).
Also, while I'm on here, a quick update about the fundraising.Thank you again to every single one of my 76 backers who have pledged an incredible £2370 (63% ofs the target). The deadline was going to be a week today but luckily I have managed to extend the end to the 19th April because of a quiz night my friend and I are organizing. Details will be announced shortly. Please continue to share this link: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/carony-classic-wheelchair-system because I won't rest easy until I've reached the 100% mark and I'm still not convinced I will reach it.
Bye for now!
Friday, 20 March 2015
It’s not contagious…
Last week, I went to see Celebrity Juice being recorded as an apology for being turned away from Reality Bites back in February. I love the show but it was 10 times more hilarious being in the studio audience than sitting at home watching it on the box. “How is that possible?” I hear you yell! Well it’s because a lot of what is said is too obscene to broadcast (I can’t even repeat the story Gino D’Acampo told) which brings a feeling of exclusivity. Also, Leigh Francis (Keith Lemon) is a very good presenter so there is no waiting around at the end for him to do pick-ups. It is basically a continuous three hours with hardly any breaks.
Like Jeremy Clarkson, Celeb Juice is similar to Marmite. Some find the content repulsive and vulgar whereas others, like me, can’t get enough. Yes I have a filthy sense of humour, which is probably why I enjoy it so much, but I also remember that it is just a TV programme there to entertain an audience and should not be taken seriously. At the end of the day, Keith Lemon (who makes quite a lot of misogynistic remarks) is a character played by Leigh Francis. A lot of people seem to forget that. Fair enough if you think the show too explicit but I don’t agree with those who criticize it forbeing sexist and objectifying women. Watch it for the comedy or if you don’t find it funny, turn over.
Anyway, I’m not here to post about the show (eventhough I clearly got carried away) but instead want to discuss something else that happened to me before Celebrity Juice even began. The warm up comedian told everyone to shake the person behind him or her’s hand. There was a middle-aged woman sat in front of me. I put my hand out ready to shake. She turned laughing, saw I was in a wheelchair then quickly turned back, withdrawing her hand so not to touch me. The worst thing is I saw by her panicked facial expression that she must have honestly thought that you could catch Friedreich’s Ataxia. It then dawned on me that most women must think touching me makes them disabled.
The first episode of the brand new series was broadcast on Thursday evening and I thought I might be in it because they got my entire row to sign disclaimer forms. There was a mini game where guests had to shake off plastic bags, which were attached to their bodies and had toilet rolls in. I was down the front so when Jimmy Carr flung one off, it flew up and fell in my direction. I half turned away and covered my face. Gavin said it reminded him of the girl in the wheelchair who gets hit in the face with a Frisbee in Inbetweeners (except I didn’t cry). Obviously, the producers of Celebrity Juice thought it would be inappropriate to show a slightly distressed ‘Wheelchair Boy’.
Bye for now!
Like Jeremy Clarkson, Celeb Juice is similar to Marmite. Some find the content repulsive and vulgar whereas others, like me, can’t get enough. Yes I have a filthy sense of humour, which is probably why I enjoy it so much, but I also remember that it is just a TV programme there to entertain an audience and should not be taken seriously. At the end of the day, Keith Lemon (who makes quite a lot of misogynistic remarks) is a character played by Leigh Francis. A lot of people seem to forget that. Fair enough if you think the show too explicit but I don’t agree with those who criticize it forbeing sexist and objectifying women. Watch it for the comedy or if you don’t find it funny, turn over.
Anyway, I’m not here to post about the show (eventhough I clearly got carried away) but instead want to discuss something else that happened to me before Celebrity Juice even began. The warm up comedian told everyone to shake the person behind him or her’s hand. There was a middle-aged woman sat in front of me. I put my hand out ready to shake. She turned laughing, saw I was in a wheelchair then quickly turned back, withdrawing her hand so not to touch me. The worst thing is I saw by her panicked facial expression that she must have honestly thought that you could catch Friedreich’s Ataxia. It then dawned on me that most women must think touching me makes them disabled.
The first episode of the brand new series was broadcast on Thursday evening and I thought I might be in it because they got my entire row to sign disclaimer forms. There was a mini game where guests had to shake off plastic bags, which were attached to their bodies and had toilet rolls in. I was down the front so when Jimmy Carr flung one off, it flew up and fell in my direction. I half turned away and covered my face. Gavin said it reminded him of the girl in the wheelchair who gets hit in the face with a Frisbee in Inbetweeners (except I didn’t cry). Obviously, the producers of Celebrity Juice thought it would be inappropriate to show a slightly distressed ‘Wheelchair Boy’.
Bye for now!
Friday, 13 March 2015
Broken record…
There are some subjects that I keep going on about, a bit like a broken record, and that's because it means a lot to me. For example, I have written numerous posts explaining how the majority of football grounds treat disabled people much worse than other ‘normal’ fans (links below):
• http://theadventuresofwheelchairboy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/no-disabled-fans.html
• http://theadventuresofwheelchairboy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/level-playing-field.html
• http://theadventuresofwheelchairboy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/in-away-end-sort-of.html
• http://www.transfermaster.com/blog/view-post/I-am-a-fan-too
The situation has been partly resolved by certain clubs such as Crystal Palace but it’s nowhere near perfect. That’s why I’m taking photos of the various away grounds I visit this season and compiling a detailed letter to send to those in charge of the beautiful game. Journalists from the BBC and the Guardian (David Conn actually interviewed me last month for his article: http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/mar/07/disabled-fans-premier-league-grounds) have done brilliantly to report on the matter and highlight the issues so that people who are not disabled football fans realise it’s not acceptable.
However, I believe hearing directly from a downtrodden football fan is more likely to make the FA and Premier League listen. As with a lot of things in life, I’m fed up with the constant rhetoric of “access must improve”. They are empty words to me and I will not be happy until actual changes take place. I want those in charge of the game to step in and force clubs to resolve any issues. I have been taking pictures (you can see a few below) so that is perfectly clear why I’m disgruntled.
I no longer accept the response from a lot of clubs including Liverpool that the “ground is old”. That is a broken record! Yes, stadia such as Anfield were built decades ago but with the obscene amount of money in the modern game, any club in the English top flight can easily afford to make the minor adjustments to improve disabled facilities. I’m not asking for all old stadiums to be knocked down and replaced by state of the art architecture because I know that is an unreasonable suggestion for smaller clubs but just small adaptations such as a raised viewing platform for wheelchairs.
Another broken record that is being repeated all the time is me begging for more people to pledge to my crowdfunding campaign (here is the link again if you haven’t seen it yet: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/carony-classic-wheelchair-system). The page has only been live for just over a week and I’m pleased to report that 31 backers have donated an incredible £1105, which is 30% of the overall target figure. I cannot believe how supportive family, friends and total strangers have been since I begun. I am absolutely overwhelmed but do not want people to stop giving. I accidentally put an irreversible deadline on so there is only 20 days left, which seems a lot but time will fly.
Bye for now!
• http://theadventuresofwheelchairboy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/no-disabled-fans.html
• http://theadventuresofwheelchairboy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/level-playing-field.html
• http://theadventuresofwheelchairboy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/in-away-end-sort-of.html
• http://www.transfermaster.com/blog/view-post/I-am-a-fan-too
The situation has been partly resolved by certain clubs such as Crystal Palace but it’s nowhere near perfect. That’s why I’m taking photos of the various away grounds I visit this season and compiling a detailed letter to send to those in charge of the beautiful game. Journalists from the BBC and the Guardian (David Conn actually interviewed me last month for his article: http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/mar/07/disabled-fans-premier-league-grounds) have done brilliantly to report on the matter and highlight the issues so that people who are not disabled football fans realise it’s not acceptable.
However, I believe hearing directly from a downtrodden football fan is more likely to make the FA and Premier League listen. As with a lot of things in life, I’m fed up with the constant rhetoric of “access must improve”. They are empty words to me and I will not be happy until actual changes take place. I want those in charge of the game to step in and force clubs to resolve any issues. I have been taking pictures (you can see a few below) so that is perfectly clear why I’m disgruntled.
I no longer accept the response from a lot of clubs including Liverpool that the “ground is old”. That is a broken record! Yes, stadia such as Anfield were built decades ago but with the obscene amount of money in the modern game, any club in the English top flight can easily afford to make the minor adjustments to improve disabled facilities. I’m not asking for all old stadiums to be knocked down and replaced by state of the art architecture because I know that is an unreasonable suggestion for smaller clubs but just small adaptations such as a raised viewing platform for wheelchairs.
Another broken record that is being repeated all the time is me begging for more people to pledge to my crowdfunding campaign (here is the link again if you haven’t seen it yet: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/carony-classic-wheelchair-system). The page has only been live for just over a week and I’m pleased to report that 31 backers have donated an incredible £1105, which is 30% of the overall target figure. I cannot believe how supportive family, friends and total strangers have been since I begun. I am absolutely overwhelmed but do not want people to stop giving. I accidentally put an irreversible deadline on so there is only 20 days left, which seems a lot but time will fly.
Bye for now!
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| I couldn't see our second goal against Man City... |
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| Didn't really see much of our winner at West Brom either... |
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| My view at the Emirates is probably the best... |
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