Castle Howard

Growing up in Scarborough, you would have thought that I would have been to Castle Howard many times. I only remember going there once, and that was in 1998 ( I found out by Googling cannon accidents) for one of the evening concerts... a Last Night of the Proms with fireworks. I remember enjoying it but for no reason at all, we've never been back there and have never visited the house, gardens or estate. And I remembering hearing in the news, the next day that someone got injured by one of the Cannons.

Well, as we are staying in the Howardian Hills, which take their name from Castle Howard, it seemed like a visit there was in order. 

The road in is narrow, mainly straight and has grandiose arches, some that are very narrow. We were glad we were in the car and that Zerubbabel was safely on the campsite, though I believe there is an alternative route for big beasts, like her. Parking was easy... accessible parking is right at the front. The lines are faded to almost nothing though, so it was a bit of a guessing game. 

As with everywhere else, they've got all the Covid measures in place. We felt particularly safe here. Nowhere felt really busy, but then it is midweek. Weekends will be busier, I'm sure. So we showed our prebooked ticket, picked up a map of the estate and headed off to see the Atlas Fountains, which I was very much looking forward to. We took a bit of a long route to get in, only to find they are currently out of action, being maintained... which was rather disappointing. 

The upside of the fountain maintenance was that there was a gigantic hose pipe attached to a tap along the path. Where it had leaked it formed a crystal clear pool of water, where Liggy had a big drink. Not only that, she remembered it, and was clearly excited to get back there later. It's funny, she doesn't normally drink much but she loved this water! 

It was shortly after her first drink that I decided to try out the portaloo accessible toilet, which looked like a good option to avoid going all the way back to the main courtyard every time I needed a wee. Neil checked it out first and pointed out a large (but fast asleep) bumble bee on the side of the toilet. I agreed that it was probably too cold for it to wake up and that I was safe to ignore it... so I took courage and sat down for a wee. Just as I was about to go, I pulled some toilet paper, so I'd have it ready... as you do... and as I pulled it down, there on the paper, was another massive bumble bee. This time, I wasn't expecting it and it nearly gave me a heart attack! Like its friend, it was asleep, but right by my face and so sudden and unexpected, adrenalin kicked in and for a moment, I just panicked. I didn't even pull my pants up... just got out quick!!! It didn't take long for me to sort my clothing and for Neil to remove my new friend... and I continued quickly and decided that the courtyard toilets would be fine for next time.

Next stop, was the Rose Gardens, which were vast and very pleasant. We just wandered back and forth, looking at the various plants and watching the gardeners at work. There were some statues too... many statues... but we decided to take a break from our usual statue photography. There was just too much to fit in. We'll come back another day and focus on statue work. 

What we did find, which is becoming a theme this week, was this beautiful peacock. Liggy was a little more excited by it than yesterday, so we didn't make her lie around for too long, but long enough to get some photos.

We took our lunch to the picnic area near the big play area - Skelf Island. It looked seriously cool! The sort of place that makes you wish you were a kid again, or there with small children that need supervising. 

The path down to the lake and play area was quite steep and windy. It was hard work keeping my trike under control. I love my trike but having the steering on the back wheel means that when going downhill, you have a tendency to tip forward, taking the steering wheel off the ground, which makes controlling it rather difficult. I've found the answer is to go very slowly. The brakes are good, though extremely noisy so Neil and Liggy left me to it and disappeared off on their own. Charming!

After lunch, we had planned a walk around the edge of Ray Wood towards the other lake. The website said that Ray Wood is unsuitable for wheelchairs due to uneven ground. We clarified this at the ticket office, checking whether it was just uneven ground or steps, stiles, etc as well. Just uneven ground... well, we always like a challenge! You don't spend that much money on a mountain trike to stay on concrete paths, do you?

Unfortunately, soon after taking this photo, there was a path closure with a diversion. Tree cutting was happening and you could see a large tree blocking the path. Sadly, the diversion included steps. They were shallow steps and Neil did say, "I think we could manage this between us," which (thinking back to Sandringham) rang alarm bells that we almost certainly were about to attempt the impossible. So we took a different route, where we chatted with a couple of ladies who were walking the same way. Eventually, the grass path headed steeply uphill and they walked on, and we paced ourselves (went very slowly at my pace). 

At the top of the hill (and a couple more hills) we reached a monument of some kind, which we should probably have paid some attention to, but the views around were exceedingly spectacular, so we gazed into the distance instead and ignored the monument. In the distance was a stone bridge. Our ladies were still there and one of them said she could imagine horses and chariots coming in over that bridge. It certainly was a scene that could tell stories - real and fictional.

While we were up there, we also had a rest and a bit of a treat time for Liggy. She had been very well behaved today! She can be a bit overexcited in new places like this, but today, she was the perfect angel... which really earned her some trout mousse.

From the viewing point, we headed down to the small lake. We had seen a mowed path around and decided it would make a good walk. Getting down to it was interesting though. Far too steep in places for me to manage but that's where teamwork makes the dreamwork! Neil gets into all these attractions for free, as my carer, so it was time to earn his keep and hold on to the back of my chair and stop me from catapulting down the embankments. 

The walk round the lake was peaceful and very pretty with the Hall in the distance. There was what looked like a shallow area at one end, so we let Liggy have a paddle, but it was a bit deeper than it looked and she wasn't keen. She preferred to eat the vast amounts of duck poo on the grass instead. So we picked up our pace a bit until duck poo was less in her face.

The climb back up to the main paths was quite steep and again on grass. I got part of the way up and there was a kind of rough area of grass that looked perfect to stop and play with Liggy and a frisbee. We always try to find somewhere like this if she has been good. After food, it's her favourite reward. 

By the end of the day, we had decided that this was a fantastic place for all of us to enjoy being outdoors together. It has many different kinds of walks, things to see and do... and it was very friendly and pleasant. So we decided to become silver friends, which means we can come back when we like for free. I would like to visit again, when the house reopens, and have a look around. 

Final stop, before going back to the campsite, was the farm shop. We had planned meals for everyday except today. The plan for today was to buy a treat from the farm shop. We ended up getting a lamb and mint burger and an Angus beefburger (which we had half each of) and I also bought some fudge, some honey and mustard salad dressing and some garlic infused oil. 

The burgers were absolutely delicious!!!

Nunnington Hall (National Trust)

This was the first of three days out, which I planned and booked. Because of Covid, almost all days out have to be booked in advance now. In some ways, I quite like it, as it makes you plan in more detail and days don't get wasted, deciding what to do. On the other hand, it means you can't have a few options and then see what the weather is like.

We're National Trust members, so this is usually our first port of call for days out. We're staying not far from Beningbrough Hall and Gardens. We've been there before and liked it, so it was tempting to go back. However, it's always good to try somewhere new, and the site webpage recommended Nunnington Hall, so that's where we went.

It was pretty easy to find and is in the Howardian Hills, an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). As we drove there, it was easy to see how that got designated! Like most National Trust places, once we got near, it was well signposted. The car park had a good accessible parking area, though the ground there, and in the gardens, would have been tricky in my normal chair. I had done my homework though, and brought my mountain trike, so I was fine.

Entry into the grounds is over a beautiful footbridge over the River Rye. 

As always, our first stop was toilets. I have to say, this was possibly the weirdest layout of an accessible toilet I have ever seen! The room was a funny shape and the toilet was kind of trapped in a narrow bit down one end. The grab rail then blocked off the rest of the room and was way too far from the toilet. On the plus side, if you have a disabled child, the toilet seat had a kiddy seat built in, like an extra fold down device. Also good was hot water, decent soap and hand towels (as the hand dryer didn't work).

At the moment, because of Covid restrictions, the actual hall is closed but the gardens are open. I sort of expected the gardens to be more like grounds... They're not, it's just gardens. They were beautiful and really interesting but we didn't get the kind of walk we'd hoped for. There was some interesting information though and it was quite quirky. I was quite tickled by this sign, which for a wheelchair user, or any small person, sort of blocked the photo opportunity. I was happy to have it in the pic though.

At first, it felt a bit wrong walking on the grass. Usually these sorts of places have paths that you have to stick to. This was all grass and the paths were mowed rather than meadowy. It was actually really nice and felt more natural, though would have been a nightmare in my other chair. There were natural ramps in most areas, though some steps to reach the top part. Neil went and explored that on his own while Liggy and I took a training opportunity on the main lawn, doing some nice zigzag walking.

Then, I decided to do a spot of mountain trike training (Neil keeps telling me to 'trust my kit', which is easier said than done) and went zooming down the main slope, in manner of small child, and had lots of fun... several times.

We generally try to support the National Trust by using their cafe or buying something from their shop. Nunnington Hall didn't have a shop but we had a cuppa in the back outdoor cafe area. It was well set out with picnic tables, about half having a seat missing for wheelchairs. They were spaced out and had parasols up, which was great, as it was really sunny and warm. 

The highlight (and another training opportunity for Liggy) was a huge peacock that was strutting around the area. It was so tame! Liggy is gun dog bred, and has inherited a serious chase instinct. Usually it is leaves, which she has learnt to leave over time... but big birds, which are less common around us than leaves, are still a challenge. She's yet to learn that picking a fight with a goose or a swan will probably end worse for her than the bird. So I was ready for battle! I needn't have worried though. She must have decided this bird was out of her league, as she was calmer than usual. Either that, or she was just heat exhausted.

At lunchtime, I continued my determination to get braver about eating outdoors, and we sat at a picnic table by the river and enjoyed our lunch there. I'd baked bread rolls on Monday morning, before we left... a new recipe... and they were delicious! Liggy was very happy to lie on her bed and sunbathe whilst we ate.

It was a pleasant enough morning and interesting to see a new NT property in such a lovely area... but it didn't exactly fill the day, so we then went for a drive and visited a few other towns and villages.

First camping holiday of 2021

We've both had this week booked for a holiday since last year. We were planning a full week BritStop tour of North Yorkshire and Northumberland. Then lockdown v3.0 happened and it became unlikely that we would be able to stay at all the places we'd chosen... so we've postponed that until later in the year and this week, we're spending a few nights on a Camping and Caravanning Club Site. 

The Site

Sheriff Hutton is about 7 miles north-east of York and the club site was easy to get to - about an hour's drive for us. Because it is so close, we decided to take the car and the motorhome (named Zerubbabel... it's a Zefiro, so an alliterative name...) so that we could leave Zerubbabel on site and just take the car for days out. 

We booked a hard standing with electric hook-up. Originally, I was hoping to book a full week, but once 12th April (Covid stage 2) was announced, weekends everywhere booked up completely, and I could only get a mid-week break. As it happens, that is probably good, as we can get some jobs done at home over the weekends.

The site is well spaced out and very clean and tidy, so feels pretty Covid-safe. The facilities - toilets, showers, etc are all closed until 17th May, but we generally use our own anyway. That was one of the reasons we chose Zerubbabel - I liked the shower room. I expected it to be busy but when I arrived, we were offered a choice of many pitches. The warden even told me which way is sunrise and sunset, to inform our choice. 

Pitching up

I'm a checklist kind of person. I've always liked following a procedure that works but a while ago, I watched a TED talk about checklists. The people who use them are not people with memory problems, or the unintelligent... but surgeons, pilots... people who are intelligent but recognise that forgetting something in the stress of the moment would be pretty bad. Well, getting it wrong when pitching a motorhome would probably not risk life but it could be expensive, so it's a sensible thing to use a checklist.

Water and grey waste are usually first, but we'd already sorted that at home.

I like to start with Zerubbabel level, and we have a dandy little gadget - a mini spirit level that does both ways. Pop it on the table, put chocks in and level up. I love it!

Ventilation is always important but it was quite hot (in the sun) when we arrived, too hot to leave Liggy in the car, so I opened all the roof vents (3 of them) and put her inside. She's always extremely excited on arrival, so it's better to just keep her inside whilst we get organised. We have bought another gadget though, a big corkscrew type thing that screws into the grass and you attach a dog lead to it. It means Liggy can be outside with us but not actually attached to my chair, which is handy. 

So then we turned on the gas and connected to the electric hook-up... all sorted! 

For the first time, we used the awning. It is quite easy to put up - one of the canopy style ones. We may invest in some wind breaks eventually but for now, it is nice just to have some shelter outside. Neil put up the table and got chairs out. It's easiest for me to use my Mountain Trike on site, as the pitch is pebble, surrounded by grass. 

Dinner

It was my turn to cook, and I'd planned a one pot chicken and rice dish, loosely based on my mum's paella recipe. I'd prepped the spices at home and put them in a tiny plastic pot. Neil sat outside, chopping veg, looking every bit the seasoned camper, and I did the actual cooking. 

The Zefiro has the standard RollerTeam 3-burner hob, which I have to say, is really good. It runs off the gas, which for us is Gaslow LPG. We filled up the gas bottles last September, when we got her, and both cylinders are still showing as nearly full. Not sure those gauges are accurate... time will tell. Asda in York is our nearest filling point, which isn't that far, so if we run out, that's where we'll be headed.

Having cooked dinner, I did something quite unusual for me... we sat outside to eat. It was still nice and warm in the sun and Neil had set up a soft bed for Liggy... and it was actually very pleasant. 

Heating

Zerubbabel's heating is a Webasto system. It runs on diesel, from the fuel tank and is supposed to be one of the more economical ways to heat the motorhome. I've seen reviews online about it being too noisy but we haven't noticed that. It blows hot air through vents around the habitation area. My only criticism of it, is that it uses a lot of electricity each time it starts up... not a problem if you're on a hook-up but if you're on battery, it drains it very quickly! It really means that we can only choose sites with a hook-up for winter camping, especially as the solar panel is what charges the battery, so less daylight, combined with high night-time usage is a bit stressful!

Anyway, it was another cold night... close to zero... but I was plenty warm enough. I prefer it cool to sleep anyway, but I was fine on my many night time loo visits. 

I'll be posting all of these posts when we get home (don't want people to know we're away until we get back) but hopefully we'll be having some fab days out in the Howardian Hills. 

Response to my open letter

I'll say one thing for Andrew Percy... He pretty much always replies to emails and FB messages within a very short time. I had an email from his office the next working day after posting my open letter and basically he is raising the various issues with different people/organisations.

Access to local walks

As a result of my MP contacting the council on my behalf, I had an email today from the Countryside Access Officer, who we have actually met before. Just over a year ago, we did a walk in Market Weighton with her, to help assess how wheelchair accessible it was and to identify any improvements that could be made. Obviously, we then had a pandemic, so nothing has actually changed yet but it is in the pipeline.

Anyway, she contacted me today about the A frame barriers, as it is apparently policy NOT to use them now. It sounds like the ones in use are on other people's land but she is going to contact them and ask about having them changed.

Also, now I know she is responsible for my area, I can contact her if I find other barriers to access. 

Thanks so far

So I just wanted to put it out there, that I got a response and I know what Andrew Percy is doing to try to help. It doesn't surprise me at all that the first response from that was the Countryside Access Officer. Our previous connections with her were very positive and I am sure she will try to improve things for us.

I haven't heard anything about the state of pavements yet. This is another of the local issues, but I suspect it may be tied in with another local issue that is brewing at the moment... so I'll try to be patient.

The national issues around PIP and the Blue Badge scheme - hmmmm - they are being taken up with the DWP. I can't say I'm overly hopeful. I know others have raised many issues around this and nothing has changed. Even if the Blue Badge issue could be resolved though, that would be something. I am actually baffled that someone didn't see a problem with that to start with!

So, if you read this, thank you to Andrew Percy and your team for responding to my letter. Please keep me updated and take any opportunity to raise the PIP issue at Westminster.

Open letter to Andrew Percy MP

Dear Andrew Percy

You may or may not remember me contacting you the night before the last general election. I was really undecided about who to vote for. I had seen how active you are in our local community and the immense effort that you put into addressing issues that affect your constituents. However, I have only ever voted labour so this would be my first conservative vote, going against much of what I believe in. The main issues for me, at the time were Brexit on one hand, and the lack of value that many disabled people feel from government, on the other.

You persuaded me that disabled people do matter to you and to test you in this, if you were successful. You were. Congratulations! 

I began drafting a letter in early 2019 and first the Snaith/Cowick floods happened and then Covid. So I figured you might appreciate some time to deal with those first. Now though, in the third lockdown, some of the issues I would like to raise with you, and ask for your help with, have become even more urgent.

National issues

My spinal injury (cauda equina syndrome) happened in 2012, while we were living in Finland. We returned to the UK in 2013, mainly because the UK offers better rights for disabled people who want to work. On returning, I was not eligible to apply for disability benefits until we had been living here for two years. So in 2015, I started receiving PIP and have nothing else to compare this to. 

I have seen some of the negative press around PIP but the press are often negative about many things, so I wanted to see for myself and form my own opinions about it. 

For now, I will leave the assessment process out of this, as I understand that there will never be a successful way of both giving disabled people what they need and, at the same time, completely eliminating fraud. My issue is with the constant need to be reassessed every three years. My condition is permanent and unlikely to ever improve. I am on the highest rate of both daily living and mobility. This is the only state support I have asked for or receive, and really, it is more about getting the support I need to equalise my living costs so that I can continue to work and contribute as much as possible to society.

Being reassessed every three years has implications way beyond the obvious. Yes, I have to take time to fill in the long forms and then take time off work to attend assessments, sometimes deal with appeals and so on. However, I then have to deal with the blue badge issue. East Riding Council now only issue the blue badge until the PIP end date. On the surface, this seems reasonable. However, PIP reassessments rarely occur on time and although payments continue to cover the months of delays, my blue badge becomes out of date. By the time I can reapply, each blue badge has about two and a half years on it, yet still costs me £10 each time. 

I recently received a letter explaining that due to Covid, PIP reassessments will be delayed by almost a year. That is a long time to be without my blue badge! I am very active and don't need to park right next to the entrance. What I need is the wide space to unload my wheelchair and assistance dog. Without these, I can't get out by car.

I would like your support in two ways:

1. Please would you ask the government to reconsider PIP assessments for permanent conditions. Being reassessed every three years must surely cost the government more than the tiny risk that I receive a miraculous healing and fail to disclose it.
2. Work with government and/or the local council to ensure that disabled people are not left without their blue badge or required to pay repeatedly for a new one because of delays in the PIP system.

Local issues

Although I live in Goole, I am not from this area. Goole has a lot going for it for a wheelchair user, not least, the fact that it is largely flat! In theory, as a healthy, active wheelchair user, able to self propel long distances, in excess of 5km at a time, it should be possible for me to visit the town centre and supermarkets (approximately 1 mile away) without taking my car. This is what we have all been encouraged to do, in order to help reduce our carbon footprint and help meet environmental targets. 

I have contacted the council numerous times to report issues with paving, especially on Marshfield Road, where the quality of the paving for a long time now, has been so poor that I can only now access it with my mountain trike (a specialised wheelchair, designed for off road hiking). Using my regular chair simply causes too much pain and there is too much risk of being thrown out of my chair when one of the front casters catches in a pothole. 

On my own estate, we have flagged paving and partly due to the works that KCOM have recently completed, but also prior to this, many of the flags are broken and dislodged such that it is not very easy to propel on it. I literally have to watch the ground in front of me the whole time, so I can pull wheelies over raised flags or swerve to avoid the worst areas. I have come out of my chair a couple of times, badly hurting my arm and shoulder once. Following this, the council investigated and did some repairs but left all but the worst damage as it was.

I would like to escalate this now, through you, and ask that the pavements in the area are improved and made safe for both wheelchair users and the many elderly people that use walkers, sticks and other mobility aids.

A second local issue, and one that I understand the root of, is the erecting of barriers to prevent antisocial behaviour in our green spaces. These seem to be used at access points to the riverbank, nature reserve, canals... They do indeed prevent motor bikes causing chaos, but they also prevent me from accessing places where I should be able to exercise and walk my assistance dog (or sometimes, as in the photo, from getting out).

I am aware that some money has been allocated from various sources and one of the anticipated improvements is around accessibility. I would ask that when implementing these, you advise the relevant groups to consult with disabled people, rather than guessing or assuming what our needs are. It is vital that this happens at the planning phase, rather than as an afterthought. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the work you do in our town and in anticipation of any help you will be able to offer on the issues I am facing.

Yours faithfully

Nicki