car

My Word of the week -Speed

September 8, 2017 by Anne Sweet 8 Comments

This week seems to have raced by so quickly. My kids are still home, they don’t go back until 18th September! Today we went to pick up their new badged uniform items. It was fairly quiet in the shop, no idea why maybe it’s because everyone else’s kids have gone back to school already!!

We’ve not really done much this week so it does feel strange at the speed it’s passed by. We’ve had to pop out a few times but mostly we’ve been at home. We’ve been really lazy to be honest.

The most exciting moment this week was having our car taken away for repairs (After it was hit by a van while parked outside a couple of weeks ago) and we had a new courtesy car.

I love the colour but I find the car really uncomfortable for my stiff body. When we moved into this house, 4 years ago next week, I hired a Nissan Juke because I didn’t have a car at the time and we needed something to run between the old house and new for a couple of days while we moved. I loved it then and really enjoyed driving it. This one I can’t drive at all because it doesn’t have my hand controls and I just find it small and cramped inside. The seats feel uncomfortable too. Everyone else loves it though.

We should get our own car back next week, so it won’t be around for long.

My word of the week was hard to choose, we’ve done nothing but the week has gone so quickly and the only excitement has been a car…so I’ve gone for Speed!

Chipex Touch Up Paint – Review and Competition.

March 22, 2017 by Anne Sweet 1 Comment

I had a new car last September, I was the only driver in the house and the car was a life saver making travelling so much easier. Yes, before that I was one of those annoying disabled wheelchair users taking up space on the bus.

In January, Graham, my husband, passed his driving test and I was so grateful because driving was becoming so difficult for me. He is such a good driver, with no nervousness at all he has taken to it so well. I was a little worried as I know most people have car accidents when they are a new driver. I know I did, I hit a post in a car park, went into the back of someone at a junction, and had a rather nasty accident when I hit the side of a car that was turning. Since the first year I’ve not had another accident and I’ve been driving nearly twenty years now.

Graham took the car one day to visit his mum and pop into the supermarket to pick up some shopping for me. While he was in the supermarket someone managed to scratch the car on the back wheel arch. Graham was fuming and so was I, our lovely car was now sporting an ugly scratch.

We were now faced with two options, pay for an expensive repair or buy one of those paint sticks you can get from the auto shop. We couldn’t really afford option one so we had a look at the paint in the shops and couldn’t find and exact match for our colour. Then Chipex came to the rescue with one of their colour match paint system.

Chipex offer a kit which treats stone chips and scratches, it contains all you need to make your car look like new again.

Take a look at this little video to see how it works.

You can find your exact car colour by entering your registration number or looking up your car colour in a chart. Any problems just call them and ask. We found our colour pretty quickly and soon ordered the correct package.

You get everything you need in the kit:

Your perfectly matched paint
Blending solution
Chipex polish
Brushes
Nitrile gloves
Paint removal cloth
Microfibre cloth
Full set of instructions
Small foam block

The instructions are easy to follow but you may need to practice the application on a small area first. Some deeper scratches may need more than one application. Our car had a particularly nasty deep scratch that my husband had to paint three times. It really is a simple as 1, 2, 3 easy steps to get your car looking good again.

My husband said that the instructions were very well explained, and it was all easy to use. He was really pleased with the results. There were couple of things he would change though. The paint brushes could have been provided in different sizes as not all scratches are the same. Also, he said that the blending in block provided could have been a bit bigger. This is all bearing in mind that our scratch was pretty big.

So, what did it look like after treatment?

As you can see, it looks much better!

How would you like to win a Chipex bundle for your car? It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a scratch you can always get one for those just in case moments.
Fill in the widget below for your chance to win a £64 bundle including screenwash. Open to anyone living in the UK. Ends on 20th April 2017.

Win a Chipex Bundle UK #59

Driving – Word of the Week

September 2, 2016 by Anne Sweet 9 Comments

This week my word of the week just has to be driving. I didn’t pick up my new car until Wednesday but I had the wobbles on Tuesday. The last car that I drove I had after not driving for two years and I thought that was nerve wracking, but this was much, much worse. This time I would be driving without using my feet.

I picked up the car and was surprised, and dismayed when I was told there would be no lesson on how to use the hand controls. I was given a booklet to use and a number to call for a driving instructor. Then sent on my way, in a new car, not knowing what on earth I was doing, all the way home.

The journey home was about three miles and I honestly don’t know how I did it, but I did. I’ve watched tons of You Tube videos and talked to other hand drivers so I wasn’t completely in the dark, but it’s different watching a video to doing it yourself. When I got home, safely, I cried.

My first instincts where to send it back.

Then I thought, well the only way to learn is to keep trying. It’s not that I couldn’t drive it, I managed to get it home after all, it was just how different it all felt. I read my booklet, sat in the car and familiarised myself with everything. I adjusted my seat and my mirrors until I felt comfortable, then I started the engine and played around with the controls, like it said in the booklet. Then I drove around our grove, and again, and again. The neighbours were beginning to get a bit wary of me driving around like that but it was a brilliant way of just getting used to how things worked. I felt more confident so went off for a little drive around the neighbourhood, rather than just our grove. I managed fairly well, at least my steering was good even if I wasn’t really getting up to speed.

The next day I decided to venture a little further, first up was the garage as I was running out of petrol. When we pulled up at the pump it felt weird giving my OH my card to pay, before, he would fill my car up while I went in to pay. I can’t do that anymore so he has to do both. I did notice that the pumps had instructions for disabled users on how to get help to fill up. I’ve used this garage hundreds of times but never noticed these signs before, isn’t it strange how you only see what’s relevant to you?

Then we went off to visit OH’s mum which is about four and half miles away, including a busy shopping town and a duel carriageway. This is when I decided that I had to get a little speed up and I managed quite well despite my nerves. It’s difficult when you are doing something completely unfamiliar in a familiar surrounding. My right foot was becoming very agitated and reaching out for the accelerator, but I know it won’t work (my foot not the accelerator) so I just had to keep it back as far as I could. There was one incident after I’d stopped the car to park and the car engine was revving, my OH asked what I was doing and I looked down and it was my foot! I hadn’t even felt it. After that I kept it tucked back under the seat, if it becomes a problem I can have the pedals flipped up, but I’m hoping that OH will be able to drive it when he passes his test (next month!) My left foot is no problem because it’s bloomin’ useless, it just stays in place immobile.

I came home the long way, facing traffic lights, moving into slow moving traffic from a side road, going around several islands and another duel carriageway. By the time I got home I felt totally at ease with the hand controls, but I was still getting used to the car. I’ve not driven an automatic before and it ‘feels’ quite different. Also, I’m still learning how the car drives, how fast it accelerates and how strong the breaks are…yes, watch out for wiplash! Overall, I’m feeling much happier and confident…freedom awaits.

For those not familiar, here is my steering wheel.

It’s not the best shot but you can see the ‘knob’ I have so I can steer one handed. This is vital because my right hand is in constant use. Look at the right hand side of the steering wheel and you may be able to notice a metal bar, this is my accelerator and brake. At the end of the bar lying just under the steering wheel is a foam handle which I have to push to brake and pull to accelerate…that alone is hard to get used to. Also on the handle is a little switch which works my indicators…but they don’t turn off automatically. When cruising at speed, like on a motorway, I can hook my thumb over the steering wheel for comfort while holding the accelerator, it really is comfortable doing this, but no so good when you have to keep steering. The pedals still work as a normal automatic car. apart from the knob and the bar you can’t see that the car is adapted, it’s quite discreet.

One thing I have noticed though, it’s hard to wave to someone in another car who has given way to you. To do this I would have to take my hand off the steering wheel, when I’m working it one handed or take my hand off the accelerator, both quite impossible. I’m going to have to perfect a big nod and grin instead.

I’m also having trouble with the windscreen wipers and ordinary indicators, but I’m sure I’ll get used to those in time. At least I have my little indicator switch for now.

Transport – My Word of the Week

August 5, 2016 by Anne Sweet 9 Comments

This week I’ve chosen transport as my word of the week for several reasons.

On Monday we went to Hatton Adventure World, we’ve been there many times before and I usually drive there. It takes about half an hour to get there by car (unless you miss the turn off on the motorway and end up in Oxford instead, but that’s another story!)

As I’m not currently driving we had to take an alternative route. Bus, train and taxi.
The first journey I planned had to be abandoned because Hatton Station has no wheelchair access, so we had to go to the next station and then get a taxi back. The whole journey took 2 1/2 hours. A little longer than the usual 1/2 hour don’t you think. We’ve decided that as much as we like Hatton we are not travelling there like this again.

Then on Thursday I had a hospital appointment for physio and we decided to take the kids to stay with their nanny. To get to nanny’s house we had to travel on three buses. The first two were fine but while waiting for the third bus we had to watch three go past because they did not have room for my wheelchair. It was getting late so when we finally got on bus number four, which went directly past nanny’s house and the hospital, I came up with a plan. We called nanny to meet us at the bus stop and then my other half saw the kids off the bus and we stayed on to go straight to the hospital. We just didn’t have the time to wait for another bus.

So our transport options this week have not been good and it does get depressing sometimes. It makes you not want to leave the house because everywhere we go takes much longer. And if I’m really honest, it’s not fun being in a wheelchair on the bus. Why do I have to face the whole of the bus while they face me. It would be so much more comfortable if I could sit sideways in my chair. Most people don’t look at me, but those that do look at me with pity. I don’t want to be pitied.

Today is a new day though, and although we have to face more bus journeys it may end very nice. We are going to view some cars and I’m going to try out some hand controls. I have no idea how it’s going to go yet but I do feel optimistic and excited. My other half is worried that I’ll find I can’t drive with hand controls and I’ll be even more disappointed, but I have to try. If all turns out well we can put in an order for a new car with hand controls. Now that is exciting!

My other half is currently learning to drive and hopes to have his licence this year. If that goes well he can drive my car too because hand controls can be turned off and the car driven normally. The only drawback is that the car needs to be automatic which won’t be good for my other half having just passed his test, so I’m saving up so that we can buy a second cheap car for him to run around in…and keep practicing those gear and clutch controls.

Wish me luck!

I Hate Driving

September 17, 2014 by Anne Sweet 6 Comments

Just seven weeks ago I picked up my new car. When I say new, it was really new and shiny and the most loveliest car I’ve ever had. I was so excited.

I’d not had a car of my own for more than two years. The last time I had taken out a loan to purchase a second hand car and I’d been totally ripped off. The car was purchased from a private seller and after two month I took it for an MOT test and the car had to be scrapped because it was dangerous. The experience was awful, I was left with no car and no money and the worry that I’d been driving around with my children in a dangerous car for two months. It did put me off.

Then the opportunity arose for me to have a new car and I have to admit it has been really difficult with all the hospital visits and appointments having to rely on public transport, taxis and lifts from friends and family. So a new car was just what we needed.

At first it was great, the car is a dream to drive. I have driven some awful cars in the past so it was so refreshing to have one so nice. We couldn’t wait to go out every day.

I don’t know exactly when things changed but I actually dread going out in the car now. I feel frightened and that makes me nervous and I’m worried that my nerves will lead to me making a dangerous mistake. With a few weeks of having the car I ventured on the motorway and it was fine. I did get a little mixed up on the journey home but managed to rectify it and we arrived home just half hour later than expected. We did see a nasty accident on the motorway, it had happened sometime before and they were clearing up, but it was still disturbing. Maybe that spooked me?

Now I find every time I venture out I see someone do something stupid, particularly at traffic islands. Do people know how to use islands? I think they should spend more time in lessons getting people to drive around islands, maybe even include it in the test, it’s more important than doing a three point turn. I see so many near misses, witness so many people in a hurry that they pay no regards to anyone else on the road, see stupidity everywhere. Is it me? Have I lost my nerve being on the road?

I’ve been a driver for more than fifteen years and in that time I’ve had one minor accident and a couple of bumps while parking…(stupid concrete posts in car parks!) Nothing serious and no-one has ever been hurt.
I do consider myself a safe driver, although I still have a little trouble parking.

My partner has suddenly become the worst passenger ever. He was fine when I was driving him around before, but since then he’s had a few driving lessons himself. Now he thinks he’s a better driver than me and I’m dangerous. He says it’s because he was involved in an accident before, but not while I was driving. He makes me feel even more nervous and nerves are not good while driving. I find myself concentrating really hard every second I’m in the car. I’ve stopped listening to the radio and ignore the kids. The road is all I think about. And driving has stopped being fun.

I’m determined not to let this beat me though. In the last week or two I’ve been tempted to give the car back, really, it’s been that bad. However, I know we need it, and the kids would be devestated. Will get my confidence back?

So, am I a total nutcase? Have you ever felt like this? How can I help myself feel better? Do offer any advice you can, I think I need it.

Thanks xx

The day I got my car

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