Full Stop

Hello, dear reader!

Don’t worry, this week’s offering will be less preachy, less sci-fi based, in fact, pretty much less everything.

Because this week I have mainly been doing a lot of nothing at all, and, of course, as with everything, there’s a reason for that.

In fact, there’s two.

Staying In
Now, just to preface my comments, when I say I’ve done nothing, that’s not entirely true.

 Thanks to a popular online purveyor of nearly everything, Xmas shopping is pretty much done (as regards pressies, anyway), and, as the rest of the festive period’s arrangements have been in place for a while, and I’m not faced with cooking the big meal this year, that means we’re almost completely organised.

Which is a rarity.

And it’s a good job that the vast majority of those presents have been bought online, because the entirely seasonable smattering of snow (A.K.A The Evil White Stuff) coupled with a mobility aid that is stretching the definition has meant the majority of the last week has seen me confined to quarters.

Two Steps Back
Snow is my nemesis. As a wheelchair user, a degree of traction is always a boon. It means each single push on the wheels is rewarded with forward momentum. Snow, and I’m talking even the slightest covering, robs me of that traction, and leads to more effort for considerably less reward. Add in the metal wheel rims being an excellent conductor of cold and forward momentum can quickly become no momentum, or worse, a steady, backwards slide downhill.

So, that’s the first thing, but as I said, it’s only one out of two reasons for my recent hibernation. The other being the steadily worsening state of my wheelchair.

For those of you who have been following the blog for any amount of time will be aware of the situation regarding my ‘chair. It hasn’t improved, in fact, it’s fair to say that if the situation gets too much worse it’s not going to matter if it’s snowing, hailing or dry and bright with a chance of meatballs. I won’t be going anywhere, at least not in a ‘chair with a front right castor which stubbornly seems to want to travel at right angles to my chosen route.

Mobile Phone
The wheelchair is not all that fancy, in the first place. It’s not a tennis chair with its zero turning circle, or a Wheelchair Rugby chair with its reinforced front end, or a Doctor Who style rocket launching death machine. No, this is a bog-standard NHS ‘chair with the turning circle of an arthritic tortoise and the durability of a house of cards in a blizzard.

But, don’t worry, a new ‘chair is on order! In fact it’s been on order for nearly three months. Will it arrive before the next snowfall? Will it get here before Xmas? This Year? Who knows?

As soon as I finish up writing this, my next job will be to phone Wheelchair Services for any update they might be able to provide. If it’s anything like last time this will be less than informative and, should this be the case I plan to inquire about the possibility of a loan chair for the festive season (myself and Tina, my wife, are due to attend some festivities in London, so mobility will be at a premium).

 I shall, of course keep you posted of developments but, with a bit of luck, the weather holds good, and the wheels beneath me will soon be aligned.

P.S. Wheelchair services were constantly engaged.

With luck…


Until next time…


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Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think


New Tales Of Old


Death Ship


Pestilence: Drabbles 1


Reaperman: Drabbles 3


The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu


Eldritch Investigations