I had an appointment with wheelchair services to check that my wheelchair cushion was right for me. I have a curvature of the spine which means that I do not sit straight which in turn gives me backache. Claire, I think that was her name, she gave me a piece of something to lift me up on that side.

We also had a chat about my wheelchair and the problems with it. Good to have her advice. I brought leaflets about the market stall with me and left them at the reception along with the other information leaflets and started off with neighbouring The Opal Assessment and Demonstration Centre. 

The Opal Centre is where disabled people, older people and carers are supposed to try before they buy -equipment. There are occupation therapists at hand. A drop in centre. "With therapists in-house, advice is readily available on the most suitable equipment and home adaptation to help individual needs and provide much needed independence."

Perfect except for the location. Widdrington Road is not easy to get to and disabled people want a location in the city centre. However I managed to talk to one of the OTs who was happy to show me around and we discussed the possibility of working together to provide some guidance to people at the market. And she said they would tell people about the Eleanor stall because they are not able to sell equipment at the Opal Centre.

I told her about some of the popular items such as the electric can opener and also the trabasack. I am going to bring her a sample so that they can demonstrate to visitors there.

I have not really paid much attention to Christmas since the kids grew up but being at the market reminds me that people do extra shopping for gifts during this season. And I can smell the freshly cut pine from the stalls that sells the fresh Christmas decoration. And those chritmas jingles all day long.

I got a few items for people who want to put them in as christmas stocking fillers for adults! Something to remind you to take the pills.

some more black foldable walking sticks and some fun curling shoelaces for people who have problems tying up shoelaces - like me.

Heres a picture of one on my Converse shoe -

and of course, the one thing I've been looking for some time now, a cupholder on the chair-

Wishing everybody happy last few shopping days countdown to Christmas! And below is the schedule for what's happening at Coventry Market!

Saturday 17th December 2011

Mother Christmas makes a rare appearance at the spectacular Coventry Market Grotto.

Sunday 18th December 2011

Coventry Market goes festive to the max when Father Christmas arrives and stays until Christmas Eve, the Grotto will be officially opened by Touch FM’s Brody Swain and Councillor Linda Bigham.

The Coventry Market Santa’s Grotto is FREE and children who visit Santa will be given a Free present, and the parents receive a Free mince pie. There’s also a chance to buy that precious photo with Santa on the day.

On the same day Coventry Legend Hazel O’Connor will be singing, and selling her Charity CD on behalf of Myton Hospice.

Not to be missed is the restyled Merry-GLOW-Round, with a 2000 lights, adding even more magic to the spectacular Grotto area.  

The festivities on the day also include a Choir, Air Swimmers, Face Painting, Super Prize Draw, Hillz FM, The BBC and fund raising for the Myton Hospice and Harry Moseley charities.

Coventry Market will have extended opening times during the run up to Christmas including:

Sunday 18^th December – 10.00am until 4.00pm

A selection of Market stalls are available to rent for the Christmas period

For further details call: 024 7622 4927

For Email Enquiries – Click Here!

Christmas Opening times:

Monday 19^th December 2011: 08.00 - 17.00

Tuesday 20th December 2011: 08.00 - 17.00

Wednesday 21st December 2011: 08.00 - 17.00

Thursday 22^nd December 2011: 08.00 - 16.00

Friday 23rd December 2011: 07.00 - 17.30

Saturday 24^th December 2011: 07.00 - 16.00

Closed 

Sunday 25^th December 2011

Monday 26^th December 2011

Tuesday 27^th December 2011

  Quite a few times I get young people coming to browse, their response is often that they are looking for something for their mum or  nan.

And often enough I get the older generation coming to have a look too. I have been sitting at the stall trying to gauge what people need and gradually I think that whatever I myseld find useful others do so too.

Then it is a case of research to find who does the best deal because the catalogue supplier I use does not always give the best prices.At the beginning I struggled with buying stock - well there are aways cheaper deals online but the good people who goes to the market often tell me they do not use the internet. I am beginning to feel like my training at the public library in Austin is serving me in good stead.

There is the enquiry process. Much like the mum who comes to help their child to do the school assignment to the library,

"we have to do an essay on the weather -can you show us the books on weather?"

"uhm what particular aspects of the weather? climate change? how to tell the weather? geographical aspects of weather and climate?"

Here it is "I am looking for something for my nan/aunt/mum" and the nicest compliment I got was from a man who works in a care home- we couldnt get the product he wanted (it didnt exist as far as we knew because it was to help squeeze a paricular type of toothpaste bought in Japan). He thanked me for the trouble I took to listen to him explain the problem.

Anyway Donna told me that one of the most helpful gadgets she has in her kitchen which she finds indispensable is a one touch can opener and I have to have some in the stall! So now they have arrived. And I am tempted to keep one for myself!

  Yes. Christmas stocking! not the sort you hang out for kids at the bottom of the bed but ordering stock for the stall for Christmas shoppers.

And I have help from Donna who is joining the team as a volunteer every Wednesday - when she can get there. I must say it is good to have company although 2 wheelchairs in the confined space of the stall is tricky.

The stuff she thinks I should order for the stall is different from mine - for example she says I ought to have big playing cards and card holders so we are getting some.

Some items are just ridiculously expensive - who would pay more than £10 for a back scratcher? I looked it up for a lady who came to ask - she said she wouldn't pay more than £5. So often we take it for granted that we can go online and do research for the cheapest deal - what I like about being at the market is doing research for those in the digital divide who do /can not have access to the internet. It satisfies the wannabe librarian in me - that I can go to different suppliers! the ones that can give me the best price so that I can do the same for customers. That really makes my day.

I do wonder if I have it in me to be the real entrepreneur. A customer came today to look for a urinal bottle. My order has not arrived yet but he said he really needed one so I told him where to get one at Boots in town. If people have needs they need to go - we re here to help :-) just hope he remembers and comes back to buy other stuff!

Its been a hectic week. But the highlights were that I went to Naidex South to meet up with Duncan Edwards of Trabasacks and Guy Harris of Disabled Gear. I also met Steve Dent of Spokz. It was a very busy stall as Guy was doing a roaring business with his jeans. I got a pair as well to try because these are specifically for wheelchair users. Fun too to meet the guys - what a hoot!

Duncan and Guy have been supplying me with their products and offering me encouragement as a disabled entrepreneur. I now hope to stock some products from Mike too.But we have to chat about it yet.

At the same time Disability Capital Conference 2011 was also happening at the same venue with the Mayor Boris Johnson and Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller making their speeches. Many of my disabled mates were there as a result of that conference and I was able to tell them about my new business. I am not a Londoner but I gather disabled people were none too happy at the conference.

I also bumped into Brian Seaman from Tourism For All - Brian and I had a few discussions before on accessible hotels, including those in Coventry. As an access adviser we have many things in common. I am thinking of setting up a small corner for accessible holidays at the stall - just to try it out! I have been working a service for inclusive travel with Connect Culture, now a loose community group based in Coventry.

Part of what I did with Connect Culture was to help disabled people plan their trips to 3 cities London, Paris and Strasbourg. So I am always happy to go to London, and things do not remain the same. This time I tried out a new route which was to travel to the Excel Centre in East London. Now previously I would have said to take the Jubilee Line from Waterloo Station and then transfer to DLR. It is qute tedious as a wheelchair user because I cannot take the tube - so it would be a bus ride from Euston, an underground from Waterloo and the DLR to Custom House, Excel. BUT this time I took St Pancras International to Stratford International and then changed to DLR (towards Beckton) stop at Custom House.

It was a much shorter journey but if it is to help visitors and tourists-a lot more guidance and information should be made available because I felt really lost and as someone without an Oyster card I had no idea which ticket to buy - I had to decide what zone it was for. Not even the woman at the Information booth could tell me or any of the people working at Stratford International. Interesting thought for our Olympics visitors!

My friends and I had a great time ending up in Westfield Stratford Food Court for dinner before my track back to Coventry!

And to top the week, I was asked to go on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire to talk about the impact of the proposed changes to the Disability Living Allowance DLA  which is being changed to the Personal Independence Payment PiP. There is a new report on the hardships which would be felt by disabled people by the disability charity Scope. Well I know what the impact is, trouble is at that time in the morning my brain barely started ticking and I couldnt think of what to say. I did perk up later though. However, they got both my name and the stall name wrong!