Should Wheelchair Users Be Free To Use Our Road Network

23rd March 09

Should wheelchair users be free to use our road net work?

Entry on the CTC forum

Hi Guys
I feel that I can now revel my sponsors without causing any trouble and where you can find my blog.

This is part of the last entry on my blog.“The police have very strongly advised, thought cannot legally enforce this request, that my power chair sponsors do not go ahead with this E2E challenge; the effect been that 'Handicare' have now said they will provide me with their new power chair "Alex", you now have their name, they will provide me a full set of spar parts; an on call engineer, but they will not help finance the challenge beyond that point as they do not wish to be seen going against the advice of the police. This, though I do not agree with, I fully respect their decision and thank them for their offer, which I may or may not take up.

The CTC forum have been a great help with this matter, giving good sound advice, which we have taken, I say we because my local 'British Nursing Association' (BNA,) who are looking into providing my care on this challenge, have not, as yet, pulled out and as i speak are looking at how they can help me take this to the next level and do the E2E and by helping me find more sponsors. They cannot, especially in this climate, finance the whole trip, which i fully understand, so there is still hope.

My last E2E power chair - Alber Adventure - which i bought along with a van, by remorging my home, is now insured for £2m for third party.This insurance i can transfer to another power chair if i wish. We are ready to go on 17th July, but I need some more sponsors to help cover costs of about, not including care, £7000. Can you guys please help me on this one? Do you know anyone one, a company, that would say sponsor me for a £1000, all i would need is 7 sponsors and i am nearly there. I would get them as much free publicity as possible and lets face it, this is a good story.

People seem to think that because i am doing this challenge in a power chair there is not so much physical and mental energy been used, This i can assure them is wrong.

Sitting there with you hand pushing a control stick forward for 40 miles per day while been bumped around all the time, is both physical and mentally challenging, especially for someone who is a 62 yrs old, female, has serve rheumatoid arthritis, who is totally human and wheelchair dependent. This is the reason i want to do the E2E. To push myself to my physical and mental limits, and driving a power chair 1000 miles is just one of many ways i can do it. The E2E is see as the start, if i can get help, of my adventure and challenges, not the end. If you think you can help with sponsorship, know of a sponsor who may be interested or donating, fully returnable, to my expenses, then email me with a contact tel no, mary.laver.e2e@googlemail.com. I will talk you thought where I am at so fare.

Thanks guys for all your help and support. It has been very uplifting.

Just leave you comments in the comments box.

Training Starts in Ernest

12th March 09

Training starts in Ernest

One of my biggest problems of getting out on the roads in my local area and doing some training in my power chair, in this case, my Alber Adventure, is time.

Being as severely disabled as i am with a limited care package, 9 hrs per day, I have to fit in any training with my every day life, ie, feeding and watering me and all my personal care along with trips to the bank, walking my two dogs and all the other things that makes lmy ife tick on. You all know the sort of things.

Now that the days are drawing out, i can spread all of the above out a bit, so now is the time to start training in ernest...This is now what i plan to do. Get out there on the open cycle paths and roads around my local area in Alber, and 'burn some rubber.' To those of you who have been reading this blog for some time, will know that i am a proud owner of a Alber Adventure, and tried to do the E2E challenge last year in my Alber. I failed after the first day, not because of Alber letting me down but because of the lack of support.

To all new readers of this blog, you will know that this year I am to be part of a team and that Handicare are providing the power chair and much more, and the British Nursing Association providing all personal care and one or two more goodies, all will be reviled soon. If you scan back a few entries you will see that this blog already has the BNA press release on it.

Today i went to Newcastle by Metro, one of the biggest advantages for anyone living in N/C and a wheelchair user of any description, is the Metro. Any way, i transgress.

To get to my local Metro is a mile, I have clocked it. A trip i do about 4 times a week. Well today, in my newly adjusted Alber, seat well forward, control stick right back, i was ready to burn some rubber and my left arms reply 'hang on, we do not usually do this sort of thing, bumping along at full throttle,' and decide to voice itself by acking a little. When i am out of my house I have to have someone with me at all times, this meant i did another miles because i kept riding back to my PA and surged on again, just like a kiddy on a bike!

By the time i got back from N/C my arm had adjusted to the treatment i was lashing out and no longer acke. I also bought, for 20p from Wilkinson's, store, a very large rubber band to hook onto my chair to pull on, thus helping with building up my arm mussel. Having Rheumatoid Arthritis and my shoulder joins are shot, but they give out no pain, so i have to make sure i am building up my arm mussels without too much strain on the shoulder joint.

Having driven the power chair i am using for the E2E challenge, if only over a short distance. i was very impressed with the amount of adjustments that can be made, so i am sure that even someone, like me, with RA, comfort and support will be achived without too much trouble. I am sure that the whole team will be able to achieve our goal without too much discomfort.

The chair also has an excellent spring system another putting another plus tick box of good features especially as we will be hitting some bumpy footpaths, roads and cycle paths along the 1000 miles.

Handicare have told me that as soon as they have made the few adjustment to meet my special requirements I will be having the chair so i can give it, and me, a good workout and iron out any problems we both have. Can't come sooner enough for me. As soon as Handicare launch the new chair, all will be reveled here in this blog.

So that all for now. So keep reading.

On last small saying i came across on the many. many E2E web sites and blogs i read is this "Fail to plan, Plan to fail" I can assure you that Handicare and BNA are pulling out all the stops to make sure that the challenge is well planned right down to the lat pit stop, so will not fail...

Route Scotland

Route England

The Proposed Route

7th March 09

The Proposed Route

To all who are thinking of doing the famous End to End 1000 miles and approx 2000 people do it every year, then the biggest obstacle to over come is planning the route, there are as many routes as there are people doing the E2E.

We have decided to turn to the professionals The Cycle Touring Club. Our chosen route is the CTC E2E using YHAs and camp sites. I am now going to give you the route. This route also has options which will take when needed. To those who have noticed, i am putting the map at the top of each entry in this blog. Even though we say we will finish on Wednesday 12th August we will extend this if necessary. The safety and comfort of the challenge is more important than the finishing date.

The Route

Week 1

Saturday 18th July

Starting line, sign in, enjoy the moment; do first 10 miles


Lands End to Penzance
Day 1
Sunday 19th July
Penzance to Par
Day 2
Monday 20th July
Par to Princetown
Day 3
Tuesday 21st July
Princetown to Honiton
Day 4
Wednesday 22nd July
Honiton to Wells
Day 5
Thursday 23rd July
Wells to Chepstow
Day 6
Friday 24th July
Chepstow to Burley Gate
"Two different roads scenic or high road"
Day 7
Saturday 25th July
Day off

Second week
Day 1
Sunday 26th July
Burley Gate to Bridges
Day 2
Monday 27th July
Bridges to Holt
Day 3
Tuesday 28th July
Holt to Leigh
Day 4
Wednesday 29th July
Leigh to Slaidburn
Day 5
Thursday 30th July
Slaidburn to Orton
Day 6
Friday 31st July
Orton to Gretna
Day 7
Saturday 1st August

Day off

Third week

Day 1
Sunday 2nd August
Gretna to Elvanfoot
Day 2
Monday 3rd August
Elvanfoot to Airdrie
Day 3
Tuesday 4th August
Airdrie to Ardchullaire More
Day 4
Wednesday 5th August
Ardchullaire More to Archallader
Day 5
Thursday 6th August
Archallader to Spean Bridge
Day 6
Friday 7th August
Spean Bridge to Drumnadrochit
Day 7
Saturday 8th August

Day Off


Week 4
Day 1
Sunday 9th August
Drumnadrochit to Bonar Bridge
Day 2
Monday 10th August
Bonar Bridge to Tongue
Day 3
Tuesday 11th August
Tongue to Isauld
Day 4
Wednesday 12th August
Isauld to John O'Groats

Congratulations
we have achieved our goal.
E2E in one power chair.
‘A British Record.’

Up date

6th March 09

Update on today

On some days i think that i have not done much to progress this challenge forward, today been one of them. Then i recap what i have done this morning and what we are doing right now. The 'we' being Emmanuel and myself.

This morning i received a email attachent with a paper cutting that was in the Sunday Post from my friend and sponsor, Alister, from the BNA, about a lady, Murial Wilson, who wishes to do the E2E in a motorised scooter. This has been done before. I contact the newspaper and will speak to them again as their reporter who did the article is on leave. I am sure, thanks to all the planning i have done with is challenge and the one before, that I can help Murial a great deal with her planning.

I then looked up on the Internet for a book on independent camp sites. Not all Camping and Caravan Club sites are wheelchair friendly! The book i ordered was the Touris Board one. I have also been again on the Internet to see if there are independent youth hostels and there are. Sadly, but not surprisingly, most do not cater for wheelchair users. They do have a book, so that is now ordered.

One of the great joys i get is ordering my own book Diet for Life off the Internet, which i do quiet often because i tend to give them away. I sometimes feel like the guy in the add for yellow pages, J H Hardly. Ups i am digressing again.

Back to this afternoon.

Emmanuel is now back on the laptop computer, great and useful having two computers, writing the actual route for each day, you know the sort of thing, right at the next round about, cross the next junction. Not an easy task i fear if the syes from behined me are anything to go by.

Tomorrow i am off to Tescos to start costing the foods. One of many visits i fear. There goes another very big sye.

I am now closing this entry but to the observant ones of you, you will notice that the route in map form, is appearing above the posts. Now for spell check. i would be lost without the spell checker.

5th March 09

Put good fuel in get good fuel out!

It is extremely important that the whole team are feed the best money can buy; this is why the Motto I have set myself to describe the planning of the menu for this challenge, "Put good fuel in (Their diet) get good fuel out (There energy to do the job).

The food I am proposing to feed the team will be organic and where possible Fairtrade.

If anyone can help with meal planning for both meat and none meet eaters could you please email. As this challenge has a military theme then I am particular interested in hearing from a military Chefs

Any advice input from any of my blog readers on this subject I can assure you will be most grateful received.

5th March 09

Prays for this challenge

Prays for this challenge

On my list of jobs this week, I wanted to ask “The Royal British Legion”, if they have a Minister who could Bless this challenge. I have now had a reply from them, telling me that they do have their own minister, Reverend Rodderick Leece from St George's, Hanover Square, London, whom I am told is more than happy to help.

On Tuesday, I received and email from Rev Leesce, he writes, “Thank you for your email - and yes, of course we'll be delighted to pray for blessings on 19th July at the main service.” Thank you for that Rev Leece.