Buying memories

We dream of holidays. They give us great satisfaction.

When we were younger we rarely went away – just couldn’t afford it. When we did it tended to be a couple of nights' B&B within this country (if you include Scotland). We did manage longer for our honeymoon in Scotland & we did go self-catering once in the North Yorkshire Moors & once in Shropshire but that was it. 

We finally started going abroad in the 1990s, after I had become disabled. I finally won my first appeal for Disability Living Allowance & got a lump sum back pay for nearly a years’ unpaid benefit. We celebrated with a trip to France for about 5 nights – again as much as we could afford. It is only since my brother died in 2001, leaving us some money, subsequently followed by my father & the Fox’s parents, all leaving further moneys, that we’ve travelled the world. Now we’re making up for it.

On the whole we are content with a quiet, inexpensive lifestyle. We’ve got out of the way of buying unnecessarily. Shopping is not done for pleasure, rather for need. We feel extravagant just buying some extra clothes pegs, or a box of pins, let alone anything more.

However, we are appreciating buying memories. We are aware our lives will probably both cease before we’re in our hundreds. The Fox is now receiving info about how to use his pension pot – he’ll be 65 next spring. He will be able to apply for an enhanced annuity as he has angina, high blood pressure & has had a stroke. The actuaries clearly don’t think he will need his pension to last very long. As you know I’m already disabled, with high blood pressure & cholesterol, not to mention pancreatits & have had cancer once already. I suspect when the time comes I will get similar advice.

So now, while we still can, we’re trying to see & experience as much as we can. We’ve virtually given up the idea of a long haul holiday, much as I would love to visit the land of my birth, Brunei. Europe still remains in striking distance. And there’s much yet to explore there.

Soon we will be off to Amsterdam. Our last trip to the Netherlands, nearly 10 years ago, left good memories. Hopefully this trip will do so too.

We’re also trying to sort out next year’s trips. We’ve long fancied visiting Beaune, the heart of Burgundy wines & French gastronomy. We thought we’d found a nice cottage to rent, but apparently it isn’t suitable for a wheelchair – too much gravel & steep slopes. We’re having to think again.

It’s amazing how much energy has to be spent organising these trips – so much more difficult with a wheelchair to consider. Still we’ve started early so hopefully we will find something before the spring when we want to go.