My trip to Portugal was far better than I could have possibly imagined. I have delayed writing about it, as I wanted to see what effect it had on my mood in an ongoing sense.

The trip with the Toulon 12 is always going to be an emotional thing for me, as the association is always going to be primarily with my paralysis, one sunny day in June 2013.

This time I hadn’t been able to do much preparation, in terms of training, and I was very much unsure if I wanted to go at all, so had delayed booking flights until only a couple of weeks before I went.

In the event, it turned out to be the best 4 days I’ve had in 4 plus years. I loved being with the guys – Jeremy ‘Churchy’ Day, Toby, Roy ‘ The Boy’ M, Dickon ‘ The MusicMan’ S, Robbie ‘ Terry Scott’ Fish, Pistol Pete, Ian ‘ One ‘ Ball, Johnny ‘ Sombrero ‘ B, Glenn ‘ nice hair’ Manoff, Sam ‘ New Joysey’ Saff, and  Sanjay ‘ The Indian ‘; and with Stella too, who’s job it was to look after me ( between having a great time eating well and listening to Pistol’s many anecdotes in the van, plus navigating. I need a carer to come with me, as I certainly am not able to be independent post Autumn 2016 surgery, and the guys really probably don’t feel that comfortable with the concept of helping me to undress and help wash my balls ( for example ).  Poor Stella just smiles and probably thinks about something else…

The route was actually very hilly and undulating, so it wasn’t practical for me to attempt to arm bike it all ( i could have, but it would have taken too long ) so I did about 55 miles on the first day, then 30 and 25 miles on the next 2 days. I used the Triride attachment and rode in my wheelchair for about 66km ( combined ) over the last 2 days. Previously I would have considered this to be just cheating, and would not have done it, but this time I just used it as a positive opportunity to ride with my mates. As Triride replaced my motor recently, as I’d had a few mechanical problems, I had confidence in my new engine and it performed very well, going pretty fast up the steep hills.

Since ive been back the positive effects have lingered, I’d say, rather than me having a ‘ come down ‘, which is good. This is despite Stella having gone away for a week to Greece ( what an endless life of holidaying that woman leads…) with her sister, the lovely Anna.

As i was stuck for help for 36 hours, the fab Cherie, Pia and Jo all helped me to do various things during that time. I’m as always very indebted to them.

The RGS lecture nights have resumed, and I went with Bradford Boy Smith last week.  I’ve seen a   film with Lily ( Kingsman – the golden circle ), as well as spent time with Cressida.

Last night I went with a lucky date (?) to the theatre ( get me !)  to see Michael Jackson Thriller Live in the West End. It was actually brilliant, I have to say, and the Lyric theatre have totally got their wheelchair space sorted out – ‘ private box ‘ no less. Claire and I had a real laugh, and going by  Tube in the iBot worked fine. Getting through the packed streets to the Lyric was a lot better in the iBot  ‘ standing up ‘ like RoboCop, than it was being very low in a wheelchair, not being able to see where I was going at all.

I had a flashback moment during the show to the first time I ever heard ‘ Billy Jean’, that being sat in the back of a car ( at 16 years old ) , driven by the late, great Benny Jones of Pontypool, with his son Leigh, who I see a fair bit of these days ( and probably at a gig on Wednesday in Brixton ) Benny was driving us to a West Mon school First IV rugby match, but i can’t recall who we were playing- though pretty sure we won ( we didn’t lose many games ). Back in those days you only heard a new release when it got played on Radio 1, very unlike now where you’ll get it via social media some way or other, or an app.

I am a touch hungover today, as I drink moderately on occasion these days, though a lot less than I used to.

Happy wedding anniversary to Cherie and Matt. I hope Milan was ready for you…

I have various things on this week, including a Spinal Injury sex clinic appointment ( my first ). I’m really not sure what they are going to do with me ( the appointment just arrived in the post ) , but I’m open minded, as always. Stella will come with me, though perhaps not literally… that being incredibly unlikely.

I also have a medical appointment in Stoke Mandeville hospital, a place that I don’t have happy associations with, for obvious reasons, but that night I see Ricky Gervais, which should be funny and make up for it.