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STILETTO – a high pointed HEEL on a woman’s shoe or a small dagger. WHEELS – a medieval instrument of torture or a vehicle for personal mobility. |
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We finally found the hotel agan, went in, to find that the lift had broken down. It was 11.00pm and my last toilet visit was at 2.00pm. There was no access to any other toilets in the hotel, it seemed. The public facilities were down stairs. |
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The lift repair company ‘could’ not come out sooner than - well, who knew? ‘I think I am going to have to pee on their flagstones,’ I mutter as EaZyD appraised the staff of our disappointment! Three hours later (2am), we were in another room with no accessible bed, bath, or shower. I spent the night fitfully sleeping upright on a sofa. The next morning (7am)– the wedding day - I showered outside the shower cubicle, sitting on a pile of black bin bags on my wheelchair, with EaZyD lying stretched across the toilet, feet in bath, bottom high in the air, trying to help me. At this point, the fire alarm went off as the steam escaped from the bathroom. Cue vigorous knocking on room door… Some hours later we reached the castle. Now, I just had to get into the castle, then out of it, then in, then out and so on. Each time, I had to scale fourteen concrete steps up/down, wheelchair strapped to a set of conveyor belt type wheels - a machine called a 'Jolly' - do they even see the irony? I had been dreading this, and, despite being in full public view and a scarily long drop down, hey, it wasn't too bad. We had to occupy the room usually given to the newly weds as it was the only accessible one - oh dear! A feature of this room was an ancient four poster which EaZyD - who has very long legs - would have needed a trampoline to get into. I slept in an armchair for 2 nights! It was a truly spectacular wedding – a beautiful bride, beaming bridegroom, proud parents, stunning siblings and a fantastic speech by the stand-in ‘father’ of the bride [EaZyD himself]. With fireworks, bubbles, glistening lights, glowing guests, it was an event to illuminate life and memory. I was able to whiz about in the huge rooms on stone floors, chatting. I provided lights when the electricity failed - my wheelchair comes equipped! ‘How lucky for YOU to be here with us,’ said one guest. I was puzzled but, yes, obviously that would be my middle name: LUCKY! |
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