Make Poverty History

Pat Bremner

Getting to many of the amazing outdoor events held in Edinburgh, where I live, has suddenly got much more difficult now that I use an electric wheelchair.

Luckily being in such a vibrant city it still has lots of places I can get too. However the 'Make Poverty History' march was something I felt deeply I wanted to go and support. What stops me going to events like this?

Getting there and back! The weather! My safety if the trouble predicted by the media happened! Problem of accessible toilets! Two of my worst Multiple Sclerosis symptoms-chronic fatigue and my inability to tolerate heat of any kind!

Even though the event started less than two miles away I spent weeks before swinging from confidently deciding I was going to depressingly thinking of all the things that could go wrong and stop me.

Even with the offer of help from Stewart, my son who also stays in Edinburgh I kept dithering. Every obstacle I came up with Stewart countered with a feasible solution but I still kept chopping and changing my mind. Eventually I said I would wait till the morning of the march and see how I felt.

Luckily when I woke up on the day I was feeling good and got up straight away and had a shower (I don't usually know till I waken up each morning how I will feel). Having prepared everything the night before all I had to do was have my breakfast go to the toilet and FINALLY make up my mind by the ten thirty a.m. deadline I had given myself to phone Stewart.

The sun was shining but with puffy white clouds in the sky the real heat was not coming through. The weather forecast was more of the same all day. Ten thirty a.m. Stewart I'm going!

Walking, or in my case wheeling to the Meadows was the only option and where there were pavements with no drop kerbs Stewart could get my down/up them. My wheelchair batteries have a range of about twelve miles but with a few hills to climb I needed to keep an eye on the gauge. Stewart offered to push me if it ran out but I don't think he realised how tough a push that would be!

Joining throngs of people heading for the march recognised by their white tops I could feel the excitement building in me by the time we reach the Meadows. The grass was hidden by thousands of people and an amazing number of dogs all happily milling around in a party atmosphere. Some forming what looked like a queue for the start. The organisers' idea was that the marchers, wearing white, would make a circle round the centre of Edinburgh to signify the 'Make Poverty History' wristband being worn by people around the country and beyond. There was also to be a minute's silence in the Meadows at three p.m.

Julie my daughter was coming up from Newcastle and I stupidly thought I could meet her at the start. I couldn't get her on her mobile but even if I had there were too many people about to arrange a meeting point. We did eventually meet up with Julie and her friends after we finished the march.

Amazingly I bumped into a friend then lost sight of her only to find out later that when we finished she had still not started!

Leaving the Meadows the marchers meandered along Forest Road and onto George the 1V Bridge like one long white snake. By now the sun was in a clear blue sky and I was beginning to realise I wouldn't get much further in this heat. It felt like we were doing something special and I wanted so much to continue to the finish. More importantly I didn't want to take Stewart away from this amazing occasion. Arriving at the top of the Mound and seeing the sea of white stretching down the Mound and along Princes Street as far as the eye could see temporarily took my mind of my heat problem. However by the time I got into the shade in the disabled toilet at the foot of the Mound I was feeling quite light-headed.

This was what I had dreaded. There was no quick way home from here. Inside I was beginning to panic.

Then unbelievably James, Stewart's friend, produced an umbrella. Why I found this so surprising, I don't know, this is Scotland after all where we've been know to have three different kinds of weather in the space of a few hours, so why not bring one! Stewart and James then took the belts of their trousers (without any falling down of the said trousers later) and somehow managed to tie the umbrella onto my headrest. This did the trick and I was able to continue on with a bodyguard of his friends at either side to make sure it stayed in position until we got back to the shade of some trees in the Meadows.

Three p.m. came and amazingly the silence on the ground was complete. There were no dogs barking, no kids crying and no music booming out. It was a magic moment spoilt only by the sound of a helicopter overhead.

This glorious day ended with the batteries holding out. Once I got home Stewart had enough time to get back and enjoy the rest of the afternoon, having left me in bed with a drink (of the soft kind sadly!) and a snack. It would take many hours for my body to recover even though I was too elated at having achieved my wish to actually sleep. For enabling me join those 250,000 people Stewart thanks a million.

James your brolly saved my day!