MIKE’S STORY CONTINUED
On 28th May we took delivery of a second basic wheelchair from the Lions, this one with small pneuma7c rear tyres. Even when the tyres were partly deflated to spread the load more, again the prac7ce area was marked by grooves. We also tried a shorter mallet and this was quite successful. So that was both styles of standard wheelchair tried out, and they were not usable on croquet lawns. In mid‐May Alison no7fied me that an adapted wheelchair, which had been used by the Peterborough Croquet Club, may be available to me. Thanks to the generosity of many croquet clubs and members this wheelchair eventually arrived at our club on Tuesday 10th June, having been passed on via compe77ons and club matches, and demonstra7ng the fellowship of all those involved.
It turns out that from our small croquet group we are top heavy with engineers, and they can’t wait to get to work on the chair. One of their first tasks is to design and fix some way to secure the mallet so that you have two hands free to move the chair independently. So my next job is to get into the studio where I spend the autumn and winter months pain7ng wildlife to support conserva7on groups, and select some thank you cards from my collec7on for Alison, Mark and the Peterborough club. For those I do not know, who have helped me in the search and acquisi7on of a wheelchair that accommodates my needs ‐ thank you so very much for your help.
So I can now report that as of 10th June I am again able to play croquet, although it may take a while to readjust to playing good shots. I find the Peterborough chair heavy and reluctant to respond to direc7on control. It was probably originally adapted for bowls which possibly accounts for the issues I experienced. We have the offer of a similar style of standard wheelchair which we can now adapt with the knowledge gained from seeing and trying the Peterborough chair. My wife Lesley tried the new chair as well; she struggled a li8le with her ini7al shots, but was s7ll able to pick up and move balls from and onto the ground.
www.croquetengland.org.uk | 22
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