BLINDSIMMING LADY
MORE OUTDOOR BLINDSIMMING 3
MORE ADVENTUROUS BLINDSIMMING
Each time Chris took me down to this ‘unseen’ spot, and left me in the car-park to find my own way about, the fisherman left his line and briefly joined me for a chat and a smoke. He didn’t seem to notice the small changes we were making to my glasses from time to time and I was becoming very comfortable finding my way blindly along the path, locating the seats and then later on back to the car-park, where Chris came and fetched me.
Then, another most interesting proposition came up.
Chris would leave me there, blind as before, but he would go off to his meeting and pick me up at the end of the morning and I would remain there blind for the morning. This, needless to say, appealed to me no end.
He overcame my initial objections to this idea by giving me an old mobile phone from his office. This had larger keys than my own or any of the more modern mobiles, even in those days. He fixed it to direct dial his phone and by just pressing a couple of keys I could ring him if I got into real difficulties.
Of course, if there was any real difficulty or an emergency, I could always, as a last resort, take off my blindfolding glasses! This aspect became very important and gave me greater confidence in eventually going blindsimming alone and eventually extending my outings as I will account later.
So, after some practice, I could operate the phone, calling him up quite easily. But it never has come to this, I’m happy to say, and I have even now always resisted the temptation to see what this place was really like or even what my fisherman friend really looked like.
I enjoy the blindfolded aspect of these outings so much.
Then, on one such outing, the fisherman took me through the gate into the Bird reserve and we were approached by another man who turned out to be a bird watcher. I was then in my element and able to identify to them both, birds that I could hear but not see, of course. They were both quite impressed I’m proud to say and our new friend offered to act as a guide and take us further into the reserve to see, or hear in my case, some rarities he knew of. The fishermen wasn’t that keen but I gathered he came along, he felt, as a chaperone. He obviously had come to be somewhat protective towards this poor blind old lady!
This happened similarly for a couple of weeks and then the fisherman decided that the bird watcher was to be trusted with me and left me with him. He, Tony, seemed to be quite happy with my presence for a morning, this was while Chris went off to do his meeting, and he let me find my own way back to the car-park at the appropriate time. Finding out the time had become no problem now that I had Chris’s old office mobile, since he had made the time-check into a direct dial along with his own number..
Chris’s contract at Eastbourne was coming to an end which meant we would have to abandon our periodic outings as he would be travelling elsewhere or doing other work on Wednesday mornings. This was a disappointment to us both, but especially to me. I could still go in to the office on Wednesday afternoons of course.
However, as always, Chris came up with another scheme for me and my blind-simming passion. Rather than lose contact with my two friends at the reservoir, Chris suggested that I make my own way there! Blind!!
There were trains from our local station which took only three-quarters of an hour to a station a quarter of a mile from the entrance to the reservoir This included a change at a station on route. From there, he thought, I could get a taxi, only a mile or two, so for only a small fare. He had even rung the station to check that taxis were available. Once at the station, I could put on my blind glasses for the taxi driver’s benefit. He would obviously help me at the other end and I could spend the morning there with my two friends (!) and ring for a taxi when I wished to return. But that was only the initial plan.
The gate that I've never seen !
So, after a ‘dry run’ with Chris and modifications to the plan and with more encouragement from Chris as I showed reluctance to his rather ‘outlandish’, I thought, suggestions, I set out for an initial outing. That was a great success. I met up with the bird-watcher, Tony, and taking on his friendly offers, I have now a regular weekly morning routine, using a bus as well as the train which I will describe in a bit more detain later on (page 11).
ANOTHER SMALL CONCERN OVERCOME
Once I started travelling alone in public, posing as a blind person and without Chris as a guide, I developed concerns that I might be unknowingly recognised by people I know, who might be travelling on the same train – quite possible- or on the bus – not so likely. I hit upon the idea of using an old hooded raincoat that I hadn’t worn for many years and wouldn’t nowadays otherwise be seen dead in, it being very old-fashioned in design and material. The hood is quite large and would help to conceal the real me, I believe. I realised this once I had dug it out from the back of the hall cupboard and tried it on in front of a mirror. It seemed ideal, I planned that I would put it on once I was on the train and from then on be able to travel incognito !
It also doubles as suitable wear for bird ‘watching’, I think.
I pretend to my bird-watching friend that, being blind, I can't see for myself what the weather is going to be and therefore it accounts for me wearing it whatever the weather. It is nice and warm as well, as it turns out..