Revitalised in Cornwall

A version of this article originally appeared in the magazine of the Brent branch of the MS Society.

After hearing glowing reports about Vitalise respite breaks, I was hoping for my mum and I to go to Cornwall, especially as she had never been there before. 

I had to put on my organisers hat on for this one as I didn’t want any screw ups. Too many things can go wrong with disability-related issues. I clicked on the Vitalise website and saw that they did indeed have a respite centre in Cornwall as well as four others in Essex, Southampton, Southport and Nottingham.

I rang them up and had an honest chat about my needs. They confirmed that the centre was fully wheelchair-accessible and I was overjoyed to hear that they could pick us up from the train station and take us out on day trips to see the local sites such as the Eden Project which is what I was really hoping for!

They sent me a brochure in the post and I booked it right away. My next potential nightmare was organising transportation. I was keen on travelling by rail after a few successful test trips to East Croydon and Maidenhead. The First Great Western ticket sales were very helpful and said that the cheapest option for me would be to have a Disabled Persons Railcard and to order my rail return tickets three months in advance. They also recommended I contact the Rail Mobility Assistance line a few days before travel to book us in. I did this and was told to arrive 30 mins before departure and alert staff at the First Aid point by platform 1.

The day before departure I rang Vitalise in Cornwall to confirm that they would be picking us up from the train station. I was being paranoid but better to be safe than sorry.

Finally, Saturday arrived and we set off on our journey. We caught a ComCab to Paddington station and reported in at the First Aid point, from which we were escorted to the 11:06 train and we were on our way!

Sure enough, Rich the Vitalise rep was there to meet us at Bodmin Parkway station at 15:01 and I breathed a sigh of relief. We settled down on arrival and unpacked our cases. I made a fuss with Rich about the beds because I needed a side rail to hang onto and height adjusted for easy wheelchair transfer which he was very happy to do for me.

That evening we were asked for our preferences about what we wanted to do over the coming week. We had a choice of two activities each day so all we had to do was write our name up on the notice board next to the activity we wanted.

Sunday’s visit was to the Lost Gardens of Heligan. The gardens fell into a state of neglect after the First World War with the deaths of 16 out of the 22 gardeners, until they were restored in 1996 and was the subject of a six part Channel 4 television series.

Monday was a real tourist day in Cornwall’s capital Truro and we visited the great cathedral.

I wasn’t sure if they were winding me up about Tuesday’s water activities on Siblyback Lake. Sure enough, the enthusiastic instructors worked their magic and got me into one of two kayaks that were lashed together for a totally safe, unforgettable experience. After lunch they rolled my wheelchair onto a fully accessible small land assault boat and we zipped up and down the lake.

Wednesday’s trip to the Eden Project was disappointing because of the weather and the fact that it was packed full of people. On reflection, I preferred the magic and Victorian charm of the Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Thursday was spent crabbing in Looe (but I was too scared to go to the edge of the quay) and a visit to the beautiful fishing village of Polperro.

Friday was the last day and didn’t disappoint. I wondered how on earth they were going to get me onto wheelchair-unfriendly Bodmin Moor and the answer was to tie two of the volunteers to the front of my chair who pulled me along like human huskies through muddy puddles and cow pats. I was amazed my wheelchair didn’t break into a thousand pieces.

To summarise, we loved our Cornish break and would recommend it. Do your research though, plan your journey and book rail tickets 3 months in advance to maximise savings:

7 nights Vitalise Churchtown
(1x Guest share, 1 x Carer share) £670
2 x Return Train Tickets £64

Don't forget! Disabled Persons Railcard holders are eligible for discounts on Vitalise holidays! For more information see our offers page.