Back on the Road with Irene & Brian

It’s been nearly a year of adventures in Dad’s WAV. That’s nearly a year of being able to say “yes” to things, of being spontaneous and making the most of every opportunity.

One thing we hadn’t attempted yet was a longer car journey, and when I suggested a trip to Plymouth to meet up with his twin brother for their birthday, Dad jumped at the chance.

Dad was born and grew up in Plymouth during the war. He met Mum and raised his family there. In fact, until he and Mum moved to Somerset a few years ago, he’d lived in Plymouth his whole life. He’d not been back since they left, and I think he wondered if he’d see his hometown again. But now he had his WAV…

As we headed south on the M5, all the memories of his childhood – and my childhood – came flooding back. Place names sparked off anecdotes and funny stories.

The visibility from the WAV is so good, Dad was able to enjoy every second of this trip down memory lane. Once the M5 had narrowed into the A38, the familiar silhouette of Dartmoor appeared on the horizon and before we knew it, we were heading into the centre of Plymouth itself.

We were meeting Dad’s brother, my cousin and her husband, in Rockfish on the Barbican. The twins both love seafood and we hoped, if the weather held, we’d be able to go for a walk on Plymouth’s iconic Hoe afterwards.

It’s hard to put into words how special that lunch was. Seeing Dad and his brother together, talking and laughing about their lives and memories. The food was fabulous too! Rockfish proved a great choice, not least because it was very wheelchair friendly too.

In a week of unsettled, wet and windy weather, the gods were clearly on our side as it stayed dry, and we were able to go for the walk we’d all been hoping for. With the low sun across the water, a frigate in the distance and the breakwater glinting on the horizon, it felt like Plymouth Sound had put on her most dazzling display for the twins’ special day.

We all made our way back to the car park, where Dad’s WAV was greatly admired. When it came to saying goodbye, plans were already being hatched for another meet up for the twins. We were able to say, “see you soon” – what a difference those three words make.

It had been a long day, and as we headed back up the motorway, I wondered if Dad had found the WAV comfortable over a longer distance.

“Oh yes,” he said, “Very comfortable.”

“And what was your favourite part of the day?” I asked.

“All of it,” he replied.

About this Blog

‘Back on the Road’ follows how a Brotherwood Volkswagen Caddy Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) is changing the lives of Somerset residents, Irene and Brian.

Brian is a wheelchair user and the couple are 80-something-young. They have a Golden Retriever, Barnaby, who will sadly never experience the adventures a Brotherwood WAV makes possible, as he refuses to travel by car.

The blog is written by one of their daughters, and will bring regular updates of how they are rediscovering the joys of spontaneous travel thanks to Brotherwood.