I'd booked the Tickets to see the Kings of Leon play at Hyde Park before "The foot" happened. So after having to cancel all of this years sailing, holidays, exhibitions abroad I was rather determined that this would be one event that I'd manage to get to.
I had to purchase another two tickets on top of my original two, to allow me to be able to sit within the accessible arena due to Ticket master's refusal to give me a refund, but this was still better than missing out !
So off I went on my big adventure yesterday morning, after a long drive to London, we parked the car in Park avenue underground & we began the hike to Marble Arch. Typically inconvenient, I became in need of the loo ! This is a nightmare, after all concentrating on the ground so as to avoid any slippery obstacles with your crutches, doesn't enable you to hop at any speed :(
I plodded on slow & steadily, as the panic set in, my palms began to sweat- brilliant on plastic crutch handles ! Eventually, after about 25 minutes, we made it to Marble Arch & asked a policeman where the nearest loo was. He suggested we try to cross the road (a major junction in central London !) & use one, in one of the shops. After a bit of crowd dodging & 3 pedestrian crossings were successfully conquered we made it to KFC. Only to find the loos were up 2 huge flights of stairs ! So I gamely began to hop up them, by now my hair is stuck to my head with the sheer exhaustion & panic sweat, & my now very sweaty palms were slipping around precariously on my crutch handles, not a great position to be in !
I got to the top- hurrah !
Bugger !!!!
A long queue for the ladies !
By now even my boyfriend was concerned & sweetly offered to act as bouncer whilst I used the gents.......... just as thought I was about to lose yet another shred of dignity courtesy of the foot I spied a KFC worker out of the corner of my eye.
"Excuse me" i asked in the calmest voice I could muster, " please can you tell me where your disabled toilet is ?" The KFC worker, was a small but impatient oriental lady who carefully surveyed me up & down, looking intently at the perspiration on my forehead, my crutches & of course the foot ! She muttered something that I couldn't understand & gestured downstairs ;(
So I picked my way back down the two flights of stairs & followed her to the back of the restaurant where she did, after one more scrutiny of the foot, unlock the disabled loo- Bingo !!!!
So normality resumed, I was now pretty tired, shoulders hurt, foot was swelling, protesting at the hike & bumping around, so we made our way back to Marble Arch, where I sat & recharged my flagging arms. We were waiting for two friends to join us, one of which was a Canadian, with a knack for hunting down Knights in Shining armour I discovered later.
Our friends arrived & we started to make our way into Hyde Park, after about 20 minutes, my left palm began to hurt, I stopped & looked, not only had I developed an impressive blister, it had just burst ! I carried on a few minutes longer, my friends by now were getting a little concerned. The pain from the blister was beginning to cause a problem all of its own- off setting my balance ! Our Canadian friend decided, action was what was required & set off stridently across the park in search of a St Johns ambulance. She struck gold ! We found a couple of policemen in a patrol van who were only too happy to unpack their first aid kit & bandage up the offending blister with enough wadding to ensure I'd not only be protected, but look like I'd done something far greater to it than the hard earned blister. The care & attention they were taking over the task in hand did make me feel just a little bit special- haha !
Whilst the policemen were concentrating on my hand, our Canadian friend decided more help was need & once again strode off purposefully across the park...................
I couldn't believe it ! She'd pulled it off again !
As she walked towards me I could see she was being followed............ by "Pablo" a park keeper, who was driving a golf buggy !
Pablo kindly piled me, the foot, the hand & my crutches into his golf buggy & after telling my friends he would look after me until they caught us up, he put his foot to the floor, heading in the direction of the gate to the disabled access area.
Great fun!
By now, yes I did have to concede slightly that having "the Foot" sometimes had a few advantages.
Friends caught up, we entered the gate & wow ! The disabled area was not only seated with plenty of room for me & the foot to have our own chairs, it had it's own disabled loos ! No lengthy muddy queues for me- Wahoo ! It also was on a staged area, not too far from the stage & above the crowds. Drawback was, only one friend could accompany me in as a carer :)
I had a great evening, in relative comfort & worth the struggle. It was by far the best evening I've had in 76 days !
Foot still protesting today with swelling & of course the inevitable pain that goes with it, but it was soooo worth it :)
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