Do your homework!

About a year ago, we spent a week in Cardiff. We chose Cardiff because my brother lives there. He's doing his PhD at the uni and will be there for a good few years. I never got to see his place in Kent, where he did his degree, so we wanted to see his new place.

We stayed in a cottage in Porthcawl, which was cheap and was all on the ground floor. It was an absolute nightmare for me! Getting in wasn't too difficult - there were a couple of steps but I managed. The bathroom was the worst thing - shower over bath, nothing to hold onto, and the bath moved, making me feel very vulnerable. Neil had to help me every time I showered, taking all my usual independence and making me feel quite low.

This year, I was more careful and did my homework... thoroughly. We're in Cardiff again, this time for my son's graduation (more on that later in the week). We're staying in a lovely, accessible apartment, with wheelchair access and a wet room.

Words cannot express the difference it makes, having somewhere that is right for my needs. This apartment is not perfect. The wet room could do with some support rails for the toilet and shower. In general though, I can do stuff without needing much help, and that gives us all a better holiday.