Dear Richard Madeley: My father-in-law wants to join our Boxing Day walk on his mobility scooter
Dear Richard,
The in-laws are coming for Christmas, with my father-in-law’s prized new mobility scooter in the boot so we can enjoy our traditional Boxing Day walk up on the Wrekin, a hill nearby. We had some issues with a much easier and shorter walk in the summer – I have visions of needing to call the emergency services and/or the mobility scooter version of the AA if this plan goes ahead.
He’s a game old bird but I’m worried. I also have a lot invested in this walk. I did it with my own parents, and it’s an ideal opportunity to blow away the cobwebs and reset after the claustrophobia and performance anxiety of the big day. Should we go ahead and prepare for a fiasco, or should I encourage him to stay by the fire (and then who stays with him, if anyone)? I think he’s just a bit optimistic about his capabilities at this point.
- GFT, via email
Dear GFT,
Hmm. Tricky one. I’ve just search-engined this for you and couldn’t find clear advice either way. One site says the summit of the Wrekin is definitely not suitable for wheelchair access, but your father-in-law’s mobility scooter may be robust enough for the challenge.
Is there any way you can take a test-drive, either with your father-in-law’s scooter or someone else’s? I climbed the Wrekin myself many times in my younger days – my grandparents lived in rural Shropshire and ‘the little mountain’ dominated the view from my bedroom window in their farmhouse – and I know that the old path to the top is much smoother now than the rugged track when I was a boy. So perhaps it’s doable these days via mobility scooter.
At the very least you can give it a go. I would. But make sure the batteries are fully charged, and be prepared to turn back if the going gets tough. Good luck.
- Richard
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