My Surrey will trundle again

GBL Wheelchairs came today and collected my (t)rusty wheelchair. I will admit that I was far from optimistic when I saw her being rolled down the path to the gaping maws of the van that had come to take her away. I was sure I had seen the last of her.

But then later on I got a call from Liam, the nice young lad who has always looked after my trundler. The bad news ... the control box was a goner. Well, no surprise there as I had more or less realised that was the problem. But then the darling lad made my heart sing. They had tracked down a spare box and could fit it on and then my wheelchair could come home. We can go trundling again, the pair of us.

She'll be home Tuesday week! And yes, she has a name now. I have decided that her name is Surrey. In memory of the horse that carried Richard III during the Battle of Bosworth field. Richard Plantagenet too was a disabled individual fighting to live in an able bodied world.

Rolling Rolling Rolling

Everything hinges on my ability to remain mobile. I've no option but to put all my efforts in enabling its repair. I've called up a wheelchair company I've become acquainted with during my stint as a volunteer for ShopMobility. GBL Wheelchairs have looked after my (t)rusty wheelchair since I first got her. Replacing the control box is possibly the best way forward however GBL have told me that a replacement control box would come to between £300.00 to £500,00 provided they can find one that is.

There are a couple of things against it. Firstly, they no longer manufacture my wheelchair. Which makes kind of sense I suppose. My Nippy is small, for wheelchairs that is, which means that she can be used on public transport. She has very good maneuverability (I can turn her on a five pence piece). She has a goodly range which is essential in such a hilly area as Brighton and the brakes on her are instant. Another essential ... especially when you are trundling around in a pedestrian area with people always cutting across. Secondly, I haven't £300.00 never mind £500.00 ...

But, and here is the real value in having a decent wheelchair repair service, they may be able to fix my current control box; given that I got her dried out as soon as possible and therefore have hopefully limited the extent of the damage. It will still cost between £100.00 to £200.00 and I will just have to hope that it is closer to the £100.00 ... I've been saving up towards the time when the batteries needed to be renewed so can use that and just pray that my batteries will last just a little while longer.