It’s January and time to relax after the crazy time that is the festive period. January is also the time of year that the anniversary of my accident falls.

It’s often a tough time of year as I try not to look back and dwell and mope. In previous years I have tried to fill the time with random activities, but being in Oxford always reminds me of times gone by.

This year I decided to take a mini break and headed to Norfolk.

I thought a bit of windswept coastline and boating on the Broads would be the perfect antidote to the Christmas comedown and the looming anniversary.

I had done my research and seen that there was a beach wheelchair at Great Yarmouth and an adapted boat on the Norfolk Broads complete with a lift to allow me to get out at the pretty pubs and villages along the banks of the broads.

Perfect I thought, a bit of lazing around and a bit of outdoor activity and waterside frolics. Before leaving the cottage I called just to make sure no-one had booked them for that day. First of all was the boat.

I called only to be told it had been taken off the water for the winter. I then asked why that wasn’t put up on the website as I could have travelled a fair distance specifically for that boat.

I was met with a slightly apathetic apology and an assurance that it would be done. I checked the website this morning and still nothing indicating it is out of the water and not available.

Although irritated I thought ‘never mind, I’ll go to the beach instead’, and promptly called Great Yarmouth tourist information to enquire about where to find the beach wheelchair.

Guess what?

That too had been packed away for the winter, and no offer to unpack nor information alluding to this on the website. Once again I checked this morning and still no updated information online.

Do these tourist-based organisations really believe that disabled people don’t holiday in winter too?

What is the point in spending money on adapted equipment to only use it during high season? It seems crazy to me that you need a threshold of numbers of disabled people to qualify for keeping equipment going. Imagine if the same was applied to lift access or ramps. It would be discriminatory.

So a lesson to you all. If you have special requirements and choose a holiday based on these, call ahead before you book your accommodation or else you’ll be limited to pavements and cafés rather than the great outdoors.