WHILL R keeps every-ready-Ann enjoying retirement
From shopping to sight-seeing, it’s all about being out for Ann. As 80 approaches she’s not letting walking difficulties get in her way. And a recent heart operation has still not dented her desire for freedom. ‘Freedom without worries’, that’s what the WHILL R mobility scooter gives Ann. Alongside her husband of 59 years, Trevor, they get out together in the car with the flexibility of a scooter in the boot. In and around Quarry Bank in the West Midlands – whether that’s at the local Merry Hill Shopping Centre or around scenic Shropshire. Add to these dog walks, day trips further afield, holidays on the Welsh coast and taking their caravan to Devon and Cornwall, Ann says: ‘Wherever we go, my scooter goes with me, every day.’ 24/7, it’s there and ready for where retirement takes them.
Ann Smith was born and bred in the ‘Black Country’, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. A Sample Supervisor at a pots and pans factory by day and a fan of motorbike Speedway by night, Ann met Trevor trackside in Cradley Heath. They wedded and went on to have two children, now both in their 50’s. Today, when rarely not gadding about, Ann makes greetings cards and always has a jigsaw on the go.
A scooter has made going out so much easier as Ann begins to explain: “I saw the WHILL R at the big Motability show in Birmingham. It looked good and the first time I sat on it, it felt sturdy. I said to my husband ‘this is it’. If anybody wants a smaller Motability scooter that actually does what a bigger one does, then get one of these.”
“My scooter does everything I need it to do. I mainly use it for shopping. I go in and out of shops and it’s also small enough to park in cafes. I turn the seat round with the handle and then get out and sit in a chair. I can leave it next to me as it’s small enough not to get in the way. I also use it for visiting stately homes or pretty places like Warwick and Bridgenorth. There are lots of cobbles in Bridgenorth North Town, but you can get over them without bouncing about like I did on my old scooter. The suspension on my new one is clever. And this helps on grass too when we’re walking our dog, Nelly. She’s an eight-year-old Shizu who we rescued from a puppy farm. Nelly is quite happy walking on a lead next to my WHILL R. The other day we took her to be groomed and where we go in Stourbridge tree roots have lifted the pavement badly. I drove over them and felt stable on my WHILL R. I’m thrilled with it.”
The WHILL R is a compact travel scooter that splits into two parts and fits in a car boot. It is lightweight so lifting is easy but still gives a reassuring ride as Ann continues to recommend: “It goes in my car perfectly. It’s quick to put together and much faster to get in and out of the car as we don’t need a hoist. Now it fits in without having to put the back seats down like we had to do with my old scooter. We’ve had people watch us load it and ask where we got the scooter from as they’ve never seen anything like it before. This scooter looks good and is good. It operates well and people look at it and like what they see.”
Ann goes on to point out the other benefits that stand out for her: “I’m not concerned it’s going to break down or get a puncture as it’s got solid tyres. It holds its charge really well; it takes ages for the charge to drop from 100%. The lights are brighter and it copes with climbing slopes; it’s not phased at all. The other good thing is that the electrics are not on the top of the tiller. So, when it started raining the other day, I wasn’t worried it was going to stop working, especially as the key is in the side of the tiller, not the top. The little basket is handy and you can rest your walking stick on the tiller which is great.”
Finally, Ann is also happy with TGA from a service point of view. The support she has been given has added to her peace of mind: “With TGA, when you buy a scooter, it doesn’t stop there. They call you to see if you are getting on ok with your scooter. I know they are a family run business which I like as you find you get more personal service from this type of company. Well, at the end of the day, you can have the best scooter in the world, but if you don’t have reliable service to back it up, then you have a problem. With TGA there is always someone helpful you can talk to over the phone just in case.”
As Ann and Trevor look to plan more trips away this year, the WHILL R will be going with them wherever they end up going. They are looking to return to some of their favourite destinations such as Weston-Super-Mare and Padstow. Ann knows whether it’s flat or hilly, on pavements or trails, inside or out, her scooter will be the perfect travel companion she needs for confident, happy days.
