March 2023
I realised that I completely forgot to give Go Beyond a mention in the February edition. So I figured that they should have a special post just for them!
Just before Christmas I had a message from Ian, one of the directors, to ask if it would be ok to mention Richie and use a photo of him from their October Provence holiday, in an article in The Times! As Richie loves to see himself in print I had no hesitation in agreeing! One of the volunteers, Verity, is a journalist who wrote an article about her time volunteering with them. The article appeared in The Sunday Times’ travel section on 5th February and as I suspected Richie was delighted to see himself in there! I think he now holds the achievement of being the first in our family to appear in the national press!!
It’s a beautiful article, explaining exactly what makes every Go Beyond holiday so special. You can read it here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d74fc27c-a2f8-11ed-9d5c-69bd3c5b98b3
Go Beyond holidays have been an amazing addition to Richie’s life. He has loved every minute of every holiday he has had with them – the new adventures, having fun, learning new skills, making new friends, sight-seeing, being active. Neil and Ian and everyone involved in making these holidays possible are brilliant. Over the last few years as they have expanded from Go Provence to Go Beyond, the holidays have become more and more exciting with new adventures in places like Norway and Morocco. The WhatsApp group which all Go Beyond travellers join, is full of excited comments from those who are going on, or just returned from a holiday. There are also regular suggestions for places across the world where people want to travel!
Sadly, I think that Richie’s Provence holiday will have been his last one as his needs change and he requires and more support. There is a holiday in Ireland this year and he would have jumped at the chance of going there and telling everyone about his connection with Ireland. However, it’s a touring holiday and just getting him up and ready in the morning in time to leave would be a monumental challenge without the constantly changing landscape each day. He would struggle and probably be a bit ‘lost’ for a lot of the time. Richie and Mum are going to Ireland independently though in April, and I know he is excited about that.
I wish I could find the many postcards which Rich has sent over the years telling me how much fun he was having. I rarely throw anything like that away so there will be some somewhere and I will find them!
He is always, always happy to see Neil and Ian whom he regards as his buddies. We show him all the videos Neil sends; whether it’s to say hi to everyone, or remind people about all the fabulous holidays that are on offer, or just to show off another amazing location they are at. Richie’s reaction is always one of pure joy at seeing their faces on screen! Thank you for all giving him these opportunities over the many years you have known him.
And if you’re in the UK and ever find yourself at a loose end in Hampshire…the kettle’s always on!
The Importance of being Richie 