So, me, Jim, Barny and Sasha decided to go to Thorpe Park!
First things first: it takes considerably longer to get there from Wales than I expected. I knew I would be sans Scootie (RIP), and my wheelchair is currently being repaired, but Barny suggested that I ring Thorpe Park and ask what they could offer to help me get around.
Luckily, I was able to hire a manual wheelchair, and the staff also helped me sort out ride access. Compared with a lot of attractions, Thorpe Park was brilliant for accessibility. The arrangements meant I could enjoy a proper day out with everyone rather than use all my energy simply trying to get around—or miss out altogether because my body had decided it had other plans.
I thought I would be able to propel myself whenever I felt able, but that turned out to be slightly ambitious. Jim had to push me around, with respite provided by the wonderful Barny and Sasha. Thorpe Park is considerably hillier when you are pushing a Tonya.
Barny goes to the gym five times a week, and even he said it was hard work—which rather puts into perspective how much effort Jim quietly puts in whenever we go anywhere. Between the three of them, they got me around Thorpe Park and made sure my unreliable body didn’t stop me from joining in. I contributed by sitting down, offering encouragement and occasionally being launched through the air at 80 mph.
The day was also a rather effective reminder of how much independence Scootie gave me—and how much easier he made things for everyone around me. I’m currently raising money towards his eventual successor, Scootwo, so if you would like to read his story, share it or help bring mobility back to the chaos goblin, you can find my GoFundMe here: [https://gofund.me/5f934e1be]. There is absolutely no pressure to donate; sharing it helps enormously too.
This article’s illustration depicts what happened on Stealth—my favourite rollercoaster of the day—where I discovered, much too late, that glasses are not designed to accelerate from 0 to 80 mph while attached to their owner’s face. Mine attempted to escape somewhere over Surrey, but I somehow caught them mid-flight while screaming.
Unfortunately, while I was celebrating and attempting to put them back on, the G-force snatched them from my triumphant grasp. My glasses are therefore now living an independent life somewhere over Surrey. Jim was no help whatsoever at this point—he was far too busy, and quite rightly, having the time of his life to notice!
Glasses aside, I had an absolutely lush time with Jim, Barny and Sasha. I laughed, screamed and got to join in with everything—which is exactly what an accessible day out should allow.
Overall, Thorpe Park did a genuinely brilliant job of making the rides accessible and helping me feel included rather than treated like an inconvenience—which shouldn’t be remarkable, but sadly often is.
The fairground games, however, were an absolute swizz. Accessibility may have earned Thorpe Park my sincere admiration, but those games earned it a suspicious squint and a firm grip on my remaining money.
Lovely accessibility. Excellent rollercoasters. Robbing gits.
Access to All Areas 