I
think it was the first Christmas that I was in my powered wheelchair that we
had fun when we went to the pantomime in Sheffield.
It
had become somewhat of a family and friends tradition that a whole pile of us
went to the pantomime on Boxing Day. It had started when all the Mums had got
together and decided rather than buying each other’s offspring presents at
Christmas, it made more sense to all go to the pantomime and spend the money
that way. Afterwards we always went to one of our homes for roast pork sandwiches.
It always was really good and we young ones and the old ones loved it. Actually
I’m not sure who enjoyed going more, us or the wrinklies!
Anyway
the first year I was in my big chair Mum and Claire rang up the theatre to let
them know that someone would be coming in a wheelchair and would want to sit
with his friends, which of course I did!
‘That’s
fine’ was the reply
‘
He can park it at the end of the row where all his friends will be sitting’
Brill
no problem then.
However
when we arrived on the Boxing Day all twenty odd of us, we were told that I
couldn’t park my wheelchair at the end of the row, but I would have to sit on
my own up at the back of the theatre in the ‘wheelchair designated spaces’
The
OSO and Claire said they had rung previously and got it sorted. The bossy
manager was however adamant that I couldn’t sit in my chair at the end of my
friend’s row she said my chair was
‘A
fire hazard’
To
which I replied
‘Well
it’s never spontaneously combusted before and I should know ‘cause I’m always
either sat in it or it’s parked in my room’
The
manager was not amused.
In
the end to save time and more arguments, Mum lifted me out of my wheelchair and
put me in an ordinary seat next to my friends. She was then told to move the
chair out of the way. To do this she had to sit in the chair to drive it safely
(those of you who know anything about powered wheelchairs know that it’s pretty
much impossible to drive one unless you are in it!).
Guess
where the theatre manager told Mum to park my chair?
In
front of the fire doors effectively blocking any way out for anyone else!
To
add insult to injury, when Dad came to lift me out of my seat and put me back
in my chair at the end of the show, he did his back in and was in agony for the
next month! Hey ho!
