Why birthdays are pointless

I remember at some point last autumn, hearing that Tom Jones would be performing at the Open Air Theatre in Scarborough. Now, I haven't been to many music concerts and he is, in spite of his age, rather appealing, so I mentioned to Neil that it might make a good birthday treat. Josh does the same - he finds events that he would love to go to and asks for it as a birthday present, even though it's not remotely close to his birthday. Anyway, after some investigations, we realised that he was also performing at York Races (Tom Jones, not Josh) and that the tickets were cheaper there and included an evening at the races. It seemed silly not to.

Those of you who know me well will know that I have some concerns about outdoor events in summer and I did wonder whether wasps like to watch the races too and listen to a smiley Welsh chap sing or whether they would get bored and start seeking out people to torment. However my fears were unfounded and we had a wonderful insect-free afternoon and evening.

Having worn a dress (rare event) for the occasion, one thing I wanted was a nice picture of me in my wheelchair. I haven't really got a photo I like. I know some would wonder, when I can stand for photos without difficulty, why I want one. It's hard to explain that but days like yesterday do kind of help.

If we had done our evening at the races before I got my chair, I would have been in pain before we even got into the grounds. Walking from the car park to the gate and then standing in a queue for 45 minutes would have been too much. My legs and back would be agony! If I'd have made it inside, there was seating in the stands but it was plastic tip-up seats. Ten minutes of sitting on them would have been quite enough. As for fighting my way through the bar to the toilets, I would have been jostled about and probably got an elbow in my back. My wheelchair means that all of that stuff isn't a problem. I can be out for just over 7 hours and still not be in any more pain than normal. That makes my chair my friend. I actually really love it. I love being independent and being able to enjoy days out like we did yesterday.

So I know I've already shared this photo on Facebook but I really like it, so I'm putting it on here too.

As for the races, it was my first time at a 'posh' race meet. I think our last one together was at Bangor-on-Dee when we were camping there. It was totally unposh! I'm not really into horse racing and I'm certainly not a gambler. It was wonderful though to spend the day with Neil - he looks gorgeous in a suit! - and just relax and enjoy the atmosphere.