Category Archives: Songs

Positive Affirmation Card Reading! For 21st April to 27th April : LOVE

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Its Soo sunny today 😊! I woke up at 9am but lets not get that confused with actually getting out of bed lol! I was still in bed at 12pm stretching and waking my body up! I felt like playing Drakes latest album to wake up to today! It’s getting me really excited for wireless festival! 

   

I have to go to the dentist today to get my mouth guard! I’m also taking grandma to the hospital to pick up her new hearing aids! Hopefully her hearing will be improved and she will be able to be herself again!

❤️💜💙💚

Ok so it’s time for this weeks inspirational affirmation! 

After praying and also sitting in the sun on my bed I picked this weeks card 😊 

  
The card reads 

‘I Am Ready To Recieve Love’ 

This card couldn’t come at a better time!! Summer is starting and we want to get out and about! We want to be able to sit on a park bench so the sun hits our skin or we want to try and be more active because we became hermits during winter! Allot of us tend to find winter really hard and lose allot of love and care for ourselves because we unconsciously close up to love!

Being ready to give love is quite easy! Most of us do loving things with out blinking an eye! Complimenting somone is loving, smiling at a stranger is loving, buying your parents a gift is loving, making food for your friends is loving etc… But sometimes we are not READY to Recieve love because we feel bad! And when you have a chronic illness being ready to accept love on top of physical/mental support can seem over baring or we feel like people do so much For us already that we forget we need love just as much as everything else. 

Should I let you in on a secret? We ARE READY for love! We were all born ready! From the moment we were created we grew because of love! We just need to accept it as one of the most natural things that can happen to us! So are you ready? – ‘Yes we were BORN READY!’ 

Receive is an amazing word! Sometimes we get the word confused with taking! To receive is to accept what is coming to you but with no ill or insecure feeling afterwords! When we receive our bodies and souls will react! Receiving means we are open to obsorbing what is being presented to us, and in this case it’s love! 

Love comes in many forms and to receive it is to accept it! We have established that we are ready for love and that receiving it is as important as giving love! I know as a spoonie I sometimes feel like I don’t need it and I need stregth instead so i can keep strong! But I got it all wrong! Love comes to me in all forms and wether it’s from a friend hugging me or the checkout guy in Tesco helping me pack  my bags! It’s it continually being presented to me and I learnt that when I accept the loving actions presented to me I automatically grew stronger! 

So this week make sure you tell yourself 

‘I Am Ready To Recieve Love’ 

Also keep an eye out for All the loving things that come your way this week and write them down! I bet you will be surprised how many things come up 😊 

The song that played in my head when I picked this card was: 

Katrina  & The Waves – Walking on Sunsshine
 

Remember you can add me on Instagram for a quicker reading and more posts

Click here or the snapshot below 

  
 Have a lovely and Loving Week 

Peace and Love xxx

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Im now on Instagram as Findingmyrange or click here!!! Follow me for latest blog updates and also random Bits and Bobs!!! Join me on my Journey and hopefully I can join you on yours   🙂 peace and love xxx 



Bob Marley’s 70th Birthday 

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FINDING MY RANGE ‘MUSIC’ 

Today marks the birth of one of the greatest, most inspirational artist of all time! the one and only ‘Bob Marley‘   

We grew up on his music and it has definitely helped me stay positive! My family are East African Catholic Goan’s from Tanzania, my ancestors are from Goa and I was born here, so we have a lovely mix of culture & music in our home/lives. When ever  I go back to visit my family in Tanzania i will hear allot of music especially reggae music… One of my Granny’s favourite artist was Bob Marley! I remember my Aunties (granny’s sisters) were all in a room singing some old school songs… I then noticed my granny was sitting on her own in the corner singing to herself… As I sat next to her I recognised the song! She was singing ‘Buffalo Soldier‘ lol. I also went back to a place called Katesh where my Granny brought up my mum & her siblings… It’s a rural part of tanzania but when I arrived the shops that Granny and Grandad own were playing Bob Marley lol it just shows how deep our love for him and his music is! His songs have soo much meaning and they definitely count as a  natural drug for EDS, POTs and the all rest 😊 

So in Honour of Bob Marley here are a few of my favourite  songs and quotes: 

Redemption song 



Small Axe-



African Herbsman–



EXODUS –



Jamming–



Stir It Up – 



QUOTES





R.I.P Mr Bob Marley! Thank you for your music and mind!! You really give us Musical Healing 

Peace and Love xxx 

How to get Disabled Tickets if you need it! 

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Hey all sorry for not posting this sooner, I haven’t been well for the past two days, my glands are all swollen and CRP is high so I’m probably fighting some sort of inflammation/infection. I need to see a doctor but my lift is broken and I can’t  do the stairs. I don’t feel sick enough to go a&e so I rang 111, just waiting for a gp to get back to me… 

The reason I want to cover this subject is because I know how hard it is to do these things and theres not much help out there to show us how we can attend and enjoy events while having a disability! If they didn’t have disabled tickets I would not be able to go to most of these events 😞

I want to see more of you out there and taking charge of your life to do the things you want to do! Let’s find our ‘Entertainment Range‘ 

Please keep in mind I am a disabled customer just like you! I am not a professional  and everything below is just advice and things that work for me! 

And please forgive my spelling mistakes I tried to fix as many as I could 😊

So let’s talk about tickets for events/shows… I’m not sure how to go through this as there are sooo many things to explain but let’s try 😊

So what are Disabled/Accessible  tickets? 

To my understanding and I am no expert, they are tickets offered to people/customers with extra needs/disabilities… They are normally the same price as a standard ticket and it it should cover your personal assistant/carer at no extra cost or a discounted price .. So disabled customers who need  their own personal assistance will use this service. For concerts/festivals, disabled tickets will also get you into certain seating depending on your needs. I will explain more later on.

I have no idea what the law says in regards to this subject but i don’t think public venues are ‘forced‘ to have complimentary or discounted carers tickets, I think it’s up to the venue/business. I also think the government probably advise to allow one carer in for free/discounted. If it’s not the law it should be! 

So if you need someone with you because of your disability/health then you can buy these tickets. The ‘complimentary‘ carers ticket is for you to have someone with you who will help/support you during your time at the venue/event. It can be someone you employ, a carer or a friend/family member as long as they have the ability to support  you. 

EVIDENCE                                            

Most places will ask you for some sort of evidence supporting your need for a disabled ticket. For those of us with physical disabilities the best forms of ID to prove your disability ESP if it’s like ours ‘invisible‘ is to present your disabled freedom/travel-card  or a disabled parking permit known as the ‘Blue Badge‘. 





Both forms of ID are useful as they have your photo on it and they are  both allocated by your local town hall/city council. They won’t question your disability once you have this. Another form of evidence is a copy of your DLA (disability living allowance) certificate.       

 

             

If you do not have any of the above please consider applying for them because if you need to buy a disabled ticket or need a carer you should be entitled to one of the above.                   To those who can’t get the above or don’t fit in with the ‘criteria’ I would get a stamped  doctors letter explaining you are disabled and need a carer for whichever reason.. Iv never used a letter before as I have always had the above

GENERAL INFORMATION ON BUYING A DISABLED TICKET AT DIFFERENT VENUES ! ! 

So it’s different in different places 

Museums: most are free but for the ones that charge or if your going for a certain exhibition they most likely allow a carer in for free. Also most of the big museums like the V&A or the National History Meusum have wheelchairs & walking frames on site for visitors to use. I like the frames with the seat! 

Tourist Attractions: places like the ‘London Eye’ or a ‘Themes Riverboat Cruise’ count as attractions.. Most and probably all have disabled tickets with a free carer. You can also book these tickets online or through their telephone booking service! I always recommend buying your ticket ahead when it comes to touristic places as they tend to get very busy! Speaking about it being busy, because you have purchased a disabled ticket you can also join the fasttrack queue when entering your venue! Some places like the London eye can have queues that last for 3 hours at peak time/season so the fast track will really help! 

Concerts/Festivals:  My favourite thing in the world ATM and it’s only because I’v been to soo many recently! Last Year I saw over 30 artists preforms live!! It’s crazy now I look back… I will do a more detailed entry about concerts and festivals as its allot to take in. So the best and most of the time the only way to book disabled tickets for gigs is by telephone! Most of the main ticket providers have dedicated accessible booking lines. That means only disabled tickets can be bought on that line… Most of the disabled lines are charged at the local rate which is a huge bonus as you can bee waiting for a long time when tickets first go on sale.. Once you get through they will ask you about your disability and how it effects you, they will also try and figure out the best seating for you! For concerts they won’t ask you to send evidence of your disability but they may check on the night of your concert. Festivals on the other had will ask you to scan and email your evidence to them so they make sure that disabled people get disabled tickets which I think is really good and they accept all the evidence I mentioned earlier.. To get the number you need to call look at their website or search it on google. The main sites and venues for concerts and shows are : The O2 and TicketMaster  

Cinema: Now this one is not as easy as the rest especially if you have an invisible disability! The amount of times i argued with cinema staff is crazy! That was before I found out that you can apply for a disabled cinema card!! Yep that’s right! Most of the major cinemas like Vue, Odeon and a increasing number of smaller companies are part of the ‘CEA Card Scheme’.  this scheme has been developed by the ‘Cinema Exhibitors’ Association for UK cinemas. You don’t need a card for the cinema to make your visit more enjoyable but it does ensure you get a complimentry carers ticket! The card is the same size as a oyster or credit card which is perfect because it fits in your purse! 



It cost £10 a year to be part of this scheme but it’s worth it!! Here’s the link to apply: https://www.ceacard.co.uk

Theatres: most theatres in London have really bad access because they are old buildings… The best way to get a ticket that suits you is to ring them up as they will tell give you the best advice… Again your carer ticket should be free and you may get a consession price because the buildings are not that accessible. Look at this link for more info http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/access/

Theme Parks: there are many theme parks/fairs around the UK. To be honest I have only gone to Thorpe Park since my EDS became a problem. Their websites will give you the best information. You can buy disabled tickets on the site or through their booking line. You will get a carer in for free. Also when you enter ask them to point you in the direction of the disabled access   team or customer service. When you get there you can get a access map of the park and also any other important information. You will also be given fast track  bands so you can jump the queue and won’t have to wait in the main queue.. They take all the Id listed above but I would also get a doctors letter saying you are allowed on the rides especially if you suffer from POTs

TRAVELING IN THE EU: I recently went to Disneyland Paris!!! It was a dream come true!!! Honestly I am obsessed with everything disney but could never afford to go. Then I saw a deal on groupon for £99 trip by coach including the ticket entry! Will tell you about it another time 😊. 



Anyway your carer goes for free and you also get to jump the queue for rides.. They have other arrangements too like disabled seating and so on… You will need to take your blue badge as it is recognised in France and can be used all across Europe. If you don’t have one then you will need a stamped doctors letter!  Please research any attractions outside the UK! 

Advice 

Hope this is helpful and please contact me with any questions also comment any useful advice and links we can use in regards to disabled tickets! I have added links throughout this blog. Click on any highlighted blue words to take you to relevant sites…

Just a few extra points:

  • Always ring the venue before purchesing you ticket especially if it’s your first time 
  • Look for reviews online regarding disabled tickets 
  • Most big venues like arenas and theme parks have disabled parking 
  • Don’t be afraid to ask! Most places are very helpful especially if you are honest about your condition. The staff are not psychic! So make sure you communicate your needs and any worries 
  • Work out the safest and easier route to your Vanue before the actual day 
  • Always be prepared 
  • Bring any medication you need, bring Id, make sure you have your medical ID card/braclet on. Also I bring a copy of my prescription just incase 
  • Bring your own food as these venues are pricey
  • Check restrictions on liquid items including water and even if the venue says no to bringing water but you need it please talk to the manager and explain why you need it! They normally make exceptions 
  • Always look out for the fast track queue 
  • Ask your doctor before attending anything your unsure about
  • Keep an eye on for this sign! I like to call him Angel! Lol
  • If you have a friend or family member who looks after you for free take them to your concert! That means your not paying extra for an employed PA and if they are willing you can split the price of the ticket if the carer ticket is complimentry! I do this most of the time because it’s allot nice being with someone who will enjoy it with you! Also allot cheaper especially if your on a low income 
  • Use google!!! Put the word disabled next to your venue/event details in the search engine and it will take you to the page you need instead of looking around 
  • If you have any problems or issues make sure you voice them to the company! I will deal with the situation as it happens. If you are still unhappy complain in writing!  Email is the best form at you have proff! I always out them on Twitter first to get their attention then follow whet they suggest when they reply! It’s the most effective way! 
  • Give the venue feedback it’s your responsibility! Praise them on things that have gone well and also advise them on things they can improve! We want the venues to have a good relationship with disabled customers! So have good communication with them! 

Ok think that’s enough I will probably go through each venue and review them later on! Please share this with anyone who will benifit from this 

Good luck and I hope to see more of you going out there to do the fun stuff because we can!! 😊 

Peace and love xxx

Ps : the wireless lineup has got even better!!



 I got my three day pass! After you buy the ticket they will send you an email asking you to send evidence of you disability and an application form to get access to the platform and a carer! You have two weeks from the day you purchsed the ticket to fill out the form.  

You can buy your tickets from the website http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/wireless

Or ring them on: 02071952133 

I rang them to book the tickets and I would  advise you to buy them over the phone to! It’s better to talk to someone and ask them questions before you purchase! LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE GOING TO THE LONDON DATES!!





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FESTIVALS & CONCERTS for VIPs (disabled tickets) 

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It’s 2am in west london. I am wide awake like a true Insomniac and i’m not feeling sleepy AT ALL!!  But I am feeling over Excited!!! It’s finally starting to snow outside and 

At 9am Wireless festival 2015 tickets go on sale!!!! 

It’s London’s 3 day urban music festival like no other!! I’m a huge hiphiop/r&b fan so this festival gets me very excited!!!! As the months go by they will be adding loads more artists to the bill!! Here’s the line up so far!!! And a link to their website  http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk



I think i was 16 when I first got interested in concerts & music festivals properly. I had been to local music events at places like the Notting Hill Carnival, Portobello Market and at the Tabernacle (a local community center at the time). I had also been on music chart shows like ‘Top Of The Pops’ and ‘CD:UK’ any one remember these tv shows? 

That was all before my EDS and other chronic conditions took over!  It was also at my worst point health wise at 16 and a half years old. I never dreamed let alone thought I could go for events like this back then!!! It wasn’t till 2013 that I decided to research going to a concert because ‘Queen B, Mrs Carter, Sasha Fierce BEYONCE‘ was coming to London!!! And it was for one of my favourite albums of all time!!!  



So at the age of 24 I was finally brave enough to take control of my conditions and fight for what I wanted!! 

She was playing at the O2 arena North Greenwich!! I am an O2 customer so I got priority to buy tickets before general sale! So I singed up with AXS the ticket provider website and sat on my computer From 8.30 am waiting in a virtual room to be let into the site for 9am! I was soo excited yet soo nervous!! My plan was to buy two tickets to see Beyonce! One for my Carer and one for me.. 9am came and just like magic purchasing options became available!! I have never done this before soo it was all new! I added my two tickets into my basket but every time I tried to checkout it would say something like ‘There are no tickets to purchase’!!! 

Aghhhhhh What Am I Doing Wrong! Thats me screaming down the phone to my friend lol 

After 30 minutes of trying, we start to see the social media sites blow up with status updates announcing: BEYONCE PRE SALE SELLS OUT IN UNDER TEN MINUTES!!

I was soo upset! It took allot of courage to get me to this point and I couldn’t get a ticket!! 

After my mini breakdown I realised I had been upset over Presale and the rest of the tickets will be on sale the next day!!!! 

Ohhhh everything changed in me!  I was no longer trying to sit at a computer patiently to get tickets.. I now knew I was going in to a battle!! As I did more research into making sure I got a ticket, I stumbled across a button with information for people with Access Needs!!! I wouldn’t have clicked on it if I didn’t recognise the familiar blue wheelchair user logo! 

I had just found the Magic Button for all thoes living with disabilites!!! As I read through I found out that most venues provide special seating for people with disabilities and that your carer will be allowed in free of charge!! Then I found something even more magical!!! O2’s DISABLED BOOKING LINE!!!! An 0208 number that will solve all my questions while providing me with a the most appropriate seating for me to watch the concert!!! I didnt waste any time and rang that number straight away! I know they said pre sale had sold out but at least I can talk to somone about my best options for getting tickets the next day!! I spoke to somone from the accessible booking team and explained its my first concert and I suffer from this and that. The lady I spoke to was very nice and the first thing she said was we still have one more disabled ticket on Presale, would you like to purchase it? I paused is disbelief.. I then said I need two tickets as I need a carer! She then explained that most events allow a carer for free when needed and that the ticket she offered me included a carers ticket!!! 

I was over the moon!!!  I then paid for the ticket so fast!! I had finally purchased  a concert ticket and realised how easy it is to deal with when its at big venues!!! 

So that was my first experience! And I have loads more to tell but I need to try and get some sleep…. This post has taken me an hour :-/ 

A detailed page about disabled acsess tickets can now be viewed here 🙂 

Night 

Peace and love xxx

 

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