I’m slowly recovering from my tonsillectomy. I’m back at work this week although mostly working from home. I’ve been concentrating on writing funding applications for the children’s play organisation I work for.

Today I had a meeting at work which meant I left the castle properly for the first time since my operation. Leftwing Idiot was working with me as my support worker and after the meeting we went to find a Post Office so I could send off a completed application.

I enjoyed being out of the house. It was a beautiful bright day but absolutely freezing as well. But while I was shivering with cold in my wheelchair, Leftwing Idiot was dripping with sweat because to get to the Post Office he had to push me up, and then down, a very steep hill.

Although we found it difficult to empathise with how each of us felt, we did find it funny that we should both be experiencing such extremes.

It was a huge relief when we’d got the letter posted successfully and we could stop for some lunch. I was desperate to warm my feet up as they’d frozen solid and Leftwing urgently needed a refreshing, cooling drink.

After a quick lunch we made our way back to the castle making sure we found a flatter route. But while it may have been less physically demanding, it wasn’t without its challenges because we hadn’t reckoned with it being bin day. The narrow streets were lined with wheelie bins, which made it hard for us to get by. We took a team approach to the problem with Leftwing Idiot skilfully steering the chair and me pushing the bins out of the way with my chaotic legs. The result was akin to a slaloming battering ram.