Tourettes Awareness Challenge Day 10: Salford – Leeds – Sheffield – Wakefield – Bradford

Day 10: Salford – Leeds – Sheffield – Wakefield – Bradford We just can’t believe this is our last night. We have arrived in Preston after another busy and successful day, and tomorrow morning we shall be loading up the Tourettesmobile for the last time. We have really got into some smooth routines – Liz and Donna do Facebook, Twitter and most of the driving (though Jac did a lot today), Jac is photographer and blogger, and Eileen is the navigator and holder of the all-important yellow file with the details of where, when and who. Remember “Give us a P please Bob?” – Well it’s “Give us a P please Eileen” – P for Postcode for the satnav. This morning we started in Salford, where we were joined in the sunshine by Clare Woodall with Joe and Tilly and Jackie Blundell with Reece. While we were waiting for City Mayor Ian Stewart, we had a chance to catch up over a cuppa in the Members Room. We also had the opportunity of an in-depth chat with Councillor Margaret Morris, Assistant Mayor for Health & Wellbeing. Cllr Morris gave us some great pointers on ensuring that Tourettes is considered in both local health strategies and NHS commissioning.

The Mayor welcomed us all to Salford, and before the press photoshoot said a few words to thank us for making the Council think about Tourettes for the first time, and for providing good quality information for that purpose. He undertook to disseminate that information and to issue a press release. After hugs goodbye, we set off for Leeds, where, following a few turns around the frustrating one way system, we met Executive Board Member Councillor Adam Ogilvie on the steps of City Hall.

We were also joined for the remainder of the day by Joe Wallace. The local press had sent a photographer to take some shots to go with the Council’s press release, so we are hopeful that our short but sweet visit will appear in the paper. Cllr Ogilvie agreed to pass our information pack to the appropriate senior officers. Joe squeezed into the back of the Tourettesmobile with Liz and Donna – and we headed for Sheffield, where we were given special permission to park right in front of the Town Hall for half an hour. We managed to have a loo break (you may have seen photos on Facebook of Donna and Liz in the double ladies loo in Yates’s Wine Bar!) and grab a sandwich from Greggs before meeting in the rather grand Reception Hall with the Lord Mayor Vickie Priestley and Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, Councillor Jackie Drayton . The Lord Mayor and Councillors from Sheffield were very keen to support us and ensure that our information pack is disseminated electronically. They also undertook to issue a press release with a photograph to the Sheffield media.

They were delighted to meet Joe and hear first-hand about living with Tourette Syndrome and some of the issues that local authorities need to consider. They were also horrified to discover as we were leaving after slightly more than half an hour’s discussions that the Tourettesmobile had been slapped with a parking fine outside the Town Hall – and said they’d sort it straight away. Thank you Sheffield … Next stop Wakefield. On Tuesday we had been saddened to learn from our contact in Wakefield that the Mayor had died very suddenly on Monday night. Our meeting with Cabinet Member Councillor Olivia Rowley and Director of Children’s Services Mr John Wilson was therefore appropriately low key.

We sat on comfortable chairs in County Hall Reception and talked through some of the challenges faced by people with TS. As it happened, we’d just had a call from our friend Paul in Northumberland, who has been tweeting and updating our blog for us every day during the Challenge. This afternoon Paul had attempted to go shopping but had had to return home after ten minutes because he was being followed in town by an idiot. A timely illustration of one of the major difficulties of community life for people with Tourettes. We were all delighted that Joe made a great contribution to the discussions and, without meaning this in any patronising way, we were very proud of his confidence and self-possession in the meeting. Our final stop of the day was in Bradford. The City Council had arranged to lower the bollards for us at the entrance to City Park, so we could park next to the Lord Mayor for an informal outdoor press conference and photo shoot.

We were delighted that three local reporters had turned up, and we were pleased to answer questions and pose for photographs with the Lord Mayor in front of the incredibly gothic old Town Hall. Despite the biting wind. We have been so fortunate with the weather over the last ten days – it has been sunny every day of the Challenge and we’ve not been caught once by rain – but now we can tell we’re “up North” and Autumn is here. We were joined in City Park by Joe’s Mum Lisa, and by Frances Tiller and her lovely daughter Emily. The Lord Mayor was dashing off to his next appointment, so we hopped back into the Tourettesmobile and left our last engagement of the day. Quick decision – let’s stay in Bradford for a curry!

Lisa, Joe and Joe’s dad Steve led the way to the International restaurant, where we enjoyed a lovely early evening meal and a chat. It did help to warm us up! After saying our goodbyes Liz drove us across the dark and windy moors – well, along the M62 anyway - into Lancashire, where we are overnighting. Tonight in the hotel we have been looking forward to home and back over the days of our Challenge. Tomorrow, the last day, we shall be driving due North, visiting the three cities of Preston, Lancaster and Carlisle before turning the Tourettesmobile East and heading home.