CHAPTER 3 (Chapter 4 ready by 13th November)

CHAPTER 3: SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

I ALSO MADE OTHER GOOD RELATIONSHIPS DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS I SPENT AT MRS PALMER'S AND I REMEMBER STAFF FROM MY SCHOOL VISITING ME, WHICH MADE ME VERY HAPPY.

I MET A GIRL WHO LIVED ACROSS THE ROAD FROM MRS PALMER. HER NAME WAS JOANNE. HER DAD INTRODUCED US AND I STILL CONSIDER HER A FRIEND. SHE WOULD COME OVER EVERY HOLIDAY AND AT WEEKENDS, SHE EVEN USED TO VISIT ME AT SCHOOL. JOANNE TREATED ME AS A REAL FRIEND AND DIDN'T MIND MY DISABILITY.

EVERY CHRISTMAS, MRS PALMER AND I WOULD JOIN JOANNE'S FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER.

I HAD LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES WITH MRS PALMER. SHE STARTED TAKING ME TO HORSE RIDING LESSONS WHEN I WAS ABOUT TEN YEARS OLD. IT WAS AT THE DIAMOND RIDING CENTER AT QUEEN MARY'S, FOR AN HOUR ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS. IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST DISABLED RIDING CENTRES IN ENGLAND. I REALLY ENJOYED IT AND IT WAS VERY GOOD FOR MY MUSCLES.

I WAS ABLE TO RIDE UNTIL I LEFT MRS PALMER'S AND WENT TO THE HOSTEL. BUT EVENTUALLY, I WAS ABLE TO START RIDING AGAIN ONCE I MOVED TO KENT. THIS WAS AT THE RDA CENTRE AT CHARTHAM. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITYTO DO DRESSAGE AND GO TO THE HORSE SHOW IN LONDON. I STILL RIDE WEEKLY AT NELSON PARK IN MANSTON.

I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED SOCIAL ACTIVITIES TOO. AT THE AGE OF NINE OR TEN, I STARTED OFF WITH SWIMMING ONCE A WEEK WITH MY SCHOOL, ST. MARGARET'S AT COOMBE FARM WHICH WAS NEXT DOOR. I WAS FRIGHTENED AT FIRST, BUT IT WAS ONLY A VERY SMALL POOL (AND VERY HOT!). SO I SOON GOT USED TO IT AND STARTED TO ENJOY IT.

LATER, WHEN I WAS ABOUT FOURTEEN, I STARTED GOING TO THE CONQUEST SWIMMING CLUB IN BECKENHAM, KENT – I AM STILL A MEMBER TODAY! TO START, MRS PALMER TOOK ME EVERY SATURDAY DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS. ONCE I WAS LIVING INDEPNDENTLY, I WENT BY TAXI. I STILL SWIM REGULARLY TODAY, AS NOT ONLY HAVE I MADE SOME GOOD FRIENDS, BUT THE EXERCISE IS ALSO GOOD FOR ME.

AROUND THE SAME TIME, WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD, I STARTED GOING TO FOREST ROW FOR AN ACTIVITY HOLIDAY. THIS WAS ORGANISED BY THE RED CROSS. THEY WERE ADVENTURE HOLIDAYS IN THE FOREST, WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO DO ARCHERY, OBSTACLE COURSES AND ORIENTEERING, AS WELL AS OTHER ACTIVITIES.

WE HAD ONE – TO – ONE HELPERS AND WE GOT TO KNOW THEM REALLY WELL. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I ENJOYED HAVING SOMEONE WITH ME ALL THE TIME BUT AS I GOT OLDER, I BEGAN TO RESENT IT.