An Offer I Couldn't refuse

A few months ago I received my regular newsletter from Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, which mentioned a show called Radio Ga Ga. Radio Ga Ga are a Queen Tribute band and I didn't know anything about them to be honest, but I leapt at the chance to a sing-a-long to Queen songs. Ok I didn't leap as that's difficult to achieve from a sitting position. I was sufficiently enthusiastic. I just needed to find a friend or two with a similar musical taste, I found them straight away - Kim and Eva. I'm not sure how similar our musical tastes are, but there was a crossover here. We would meet beforehand and get some food, watch Freddie Mercury and sing along (badly) with him and then sit in a pub until last orders.

Not a bad evening!

Some Italian Cuisine

EATING ESTABLISHMENT watch 

We met at Zizzi beforehand. It has a manual door that fortunately I didn't have to try and open as my friends spotted me and opened the door for me. The whole of the ground floor is surrounded by glass walls and several tables are in view of the door, so there is always somebody to help me get in. There are no steps on the ground floor. The floor is completely flat and you can get everywhere. There is a bar in the middle and an exposed kitchen. I always like an exposed kitchen, I find it very re-assuring that they're happy for the customer's to see what they're doing. The toilets are upstairs, but they have a disabled toilet downstairs. The gaps between some of the tables aren't big enough to fit the wheelchair through. 

Zizzi 4/5:

A Short Ride

Zizzi is only few minutes walk from The Gatehouse, and with the 4mph top speed of my trustee steed (iM4.Elite from Easy Living Mobility) I can get that time down to... actually I can't get that down, its top speed is a brisk walking pace.

I got round by the police station and - as I was crossing the road that vehicles use to get into the police station - I noticed that the drop curb was quite high. Instead of the curb being at the same height as the road, the curb was about an inch and a half higher. The front wheels mounted it but, surprisingly the larger back wheels couldn't manage it. The wheels span unable to scale the curb. I pressed my feet into the floor and with the full force of the mighty 4mph top speed, the chair suddenly shot up the curb and as the rear left wheel hit the curb, the chair changed direction and shot me off the path into the road. I got to the Gatehouse without any further incidents (which is an achievement for me.)

Unfortunately there was time for one more incident.

Before I tell you of yet another incident, I feel I should defend myself - or at least give some context - against your probable question "shouldn't you have a driving test for that thing?" Most 

people say this to me - from a distance, while sitting on a chair hugging there knees against their chest so I don't run over their feet. 

I don't have much spacial awareness anymore. The right lense of my glasses is frosted as I have double vision, so I don't have any depth perception. Right, I'm glad we've got that settled. I'm confident you won't laugh when I tell you, I ran into a  piano.

You're laughing at me aren't you?

There is a corridor leading into the main auditorium that is only wide enough for one person. There was somebody coming out of the auditorium with a refreshments trolley, so I hung back and moved to the right...where there was a piano...I blame the Gatehouse, I mean why would you have a piano in the theatre?

Radio Ga Ga

I love Queen. Always have. Always will. Obviously, I never saw the original lineup, as I was only eight when Freddie Mercury died. I've never seen the current lineup with Adam Lambert, I was sceptical of Queen without Freddie Mercury, nobody can fill his shoes and it annoys me when people try. Queen with Adam Lambert won me over, Lambert doesn't try to mimic Freddie but has a fantastic voice and sings the songs in his own way. Radio Ga Ga are much the same... 

I realise this might not make sense if you look at the video and see somebody who is clearly mimicking Freddie Mercury. Maybe I didn't mind so much because he'd got a great band backing him. The Brian May replacement is a brilliant guitarist. I'm not sure I would class them as a tribute band. They are a great band who only play Queen songs and they put on a great show. The audience were loving it, singing along, waving hands in there, waving phones with torches turned on in the air. There were even a few tears shed during These Are The Days Of Our Lives. I will go again if I get the chance.

Last Orders

We finished by going to the pub for last orders. I only mention this so I can put this short video up. LOOK! I go between the lamppost and the bollard without going near either of them!

@fatpigeonsbook 

@fatpigeonsbook

@fatpigeonsbook