Anyway, writing was on the list, so here I am!
As promised, Just a little blog on the 4x4 driving experience day!!!!!
Thursday night I got myself all prepared for an early start the next day and decided to have a earlyish night, went to lock my front door and my keys were missing, a casual look through my bag soon turned into a frantic hunt, tipping the contents all over the kitchen table, and searching in the same places ten times just in case it had magically appeared!
Mentally retracing my steps I realised the last time I had them was at work and that's exactly where they still were. This meant my meticulously planned morning had to be re jigged to include a trip to work to retrieve my keys.
So, My plans had to be moved forward an hour and 5am Friday morning found me walking Ralph over the fields, although I have to say, that time of the morning is very beautiful, and Ralph was happy to sit and watch the deer and rabbits!...NOT, the crazy bloody dog was chasing the poor animals all round the fields, with me screaming at him to come back like some crazy woman, then he decided it would be a great idea to roll around in fox poo, he comes running up to me with this stupid flappy grin on his face, all pleased with him self..'smell that Mum, don't I smell fab'....no, you actually smell like you have been living in the bottom of a food waste bin for the last three weeks! I suppose the only consolation was that there's no-one else about that time of the morning, so the only person that he shared the smell with was me!!
I had to pick up the train from Hitchin instead of Arlesey, but it didn't seem to be a problem and I was let through the gates, found myself a seat on the platform and sat relaxing in the sun.
The train from Hitchin to Cambridge was on time and I was quite shocked to find there were plenty of places to sit. I arrived into Cambridge about 7 minutes before my friends train was due in and about 14 minutes before our connecting train to Thetford would leave. The train was already at the platform and again finding a seat was easy! Once my friend and I were settled in our seats the journey to Thetford just flew by as we chatted and nattered.
Once at Thetford we were met by Malcolm! Now, Malcolm is in charge of the 4x4 experience days, but, just flipping back a minute, So all the while we were travelling we were two blind ladies, no one really interacted with us, we immediately accepted each others disability and tuned into the level of assistance each of us needed and just got on with it. But, when Malcolm met us, I noticed something I hadn't before. I feel a little ignorant that I haven't thought of this before.
Malcolm leaps out of his 4x4 in the car park, introduces himself and chats about the programme of the day. It was all very normal, until he asks us to get in the car, the three of us make our way to the car/truck thingy, (three because a young man had joined us) and there, as my two fellow blind people went to put themselves into the truck, I held back ever so slightly and saw Malcolm have a awkward moment where he didn't know how much help to offer. In that second I saw 'politically correct' (or disability correct) flash across his face..how much support do I offer...I don't want to offend...is it ok to touch the persons arm to help them in the truck....etc
Suddenly I am looking at sighted folks in a whole different light. How difficult is it for regular people to know what we need? Talk about treading on egg shells! and then I saw relief in his body language as Brad had jumped in the front passenger seat and Suzanne had nipped around the truck to get in the back seat beside me, leaving Malcolm still standing on the tarmac, the trip to the Elveden Estate was nice and relaxed as I think Malcolm had worked out that we didn't consider our disability to disable us in any way!
Anyway, my excitement was level 10000 and after we had had our breakfast at the on site restaurant I was ready to rumble. We had a de-brief and as there was 11 of us blindies driving, they take two couples in two trucks.
Who wants to go first.....ohhh hell yeah, that'll be meeee!
I was paired up with Suzanne and I know she wont mind me telling you that watching and feeling her elation at being able to drive again was almost as wonderful as my own experience behind the wheel. Suzanne had been told to send her driving licence back to DVLA two years ago, although I had driving lessons in my teens, Ive never been able to drive so I think we both experienced completely different emotions.
I absolutely loved it, I couldn't see beyond the bonnet, but the instructor was so good I didn't feel at all worried. The truck was automatic so no bothering about changing gear, just concentrate on the accelerator and steering. It was strange because the first thing I did was check my mirrors, not that I could see out of them, its just a process that all learner drivers learn, and I hadn't forgotten it.
For me, I was ecstatic that I had been driving around farm tracks and through a forest, and at the end I felt happy but sad that this wasn't 'real' I will never be able to drive.
For Suzanne, it was very emotional, a skill which she had lost, been taken from her. The day must have been so much harder for drivers, for us non drivers it was great fun, but I cant grieve over something I've never had!
It wasn't just the driving that made the day so special, I met some really incredible and inspiring people, plus, it turned out that my youngest was taking her driving test exactly the same time that I had my half hour driving, and she passed!!
An amazing day all round. The journey home I kept sighing with satisfaction and I had the biggest smile pinned to my face! In fact the smile hasn't worn off yet. Saturday I was so tired, I am always astounded by how much travelling exhausts me so travelling and driving all in one day was too much concentration, no wonder I was passed out on the sofa early afternoon, thus the reason none of my jobs have been done.
If anyone fancies a 4x4 Experience day. Contact Malcolm via email at Explore 4x4 experience days, Elveden Estate, Norfolk.
HUGE thanks to Suzanne and Warren for organising this event 💖
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