All organised

The phone eventually rings. It’s 2pm. It’s Harrogate Tourist Information Centre (TIC). They’ve apparently spent all morning ringing around the various hotels in Harrogate & have at last located one with a vacancy. They thought I’d prefer to talk direct with the hotel to make the booking & check out everything I needed was available. They provide me with the telephone number & contact details, down to the individual who they’d talked to. I express my great gratitude & ring the hotel.

Sure enough the room is available. I can have either a double or a twin room. I took the double. I’m still haunted with the memory of one hotel we stayed in in which they gave us a huge bedroom with the twin beds as far apart as possible. No chance of a loving hug there, but then who would want to share a bed with a disabled person. They're all incontinent. Or at least that was the feeling I got from that hotel.

This Harrogate hotel then went on to ask me if I needed any aids provided. The shower is over the bath but they do provide bath boards, along with other aids such as raised seats for the toilet. It’s the first time I’ve ever been asked this. It is reassuring to know they can provide such things. I always go armed with the aids I’m likely to need. You can tell it’s part of an American hotel chain. They seem so much more enlightened when it comes to providing services for disabled people.

I go ahead and book. I’m utterly bemused by how cheap the hotel is - £79 per night per room for bed & buffet breakfast. What is more there’s complimentary coffee & cakes mid-morning – a little treat to look forward to.

So Harrogate here we come. I can relax now over sorting the accommodation & get down to looking forward to seeing old friends once again.