Ciel Gattens
@cielgattens.bsky.social
Wheelchair user who is the solitary unpaid staff for a demanding border collie. Loves travel.
Or are you too much of a coward to face those affected by decisions made by you and the DWP? Let's see if you're brave enough to say these decisions are correct. Decision makers never have to face their victims. They are bullies, safe in the knowledge that the government hates disabled people. 5/5
July 10, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Or are you too much of a coward to face those affected by decisions made by you and the DWP? Let's see if you're brave enough to say these decisions are correct. Decision makers never have to face their victims. They are bullies, safe in the knowledge that the government hates disabled people. 5/5
I have a challenge for #LizKendall and her colleagues: Are you brave enough to meet me face to face at my place of work and tell me I don't deserve to be awarded even standard PIP. Never mind the enhanced mobility PIP that my need of a wheelchair to manage distances of over 2 metres? 4/5
July 10, 2025 at 4:28 PM
I have a challenge for #LizKendall and her colleagues: Are you brave enough to meet me face to face at my place of work and tell me I don't deserve to be awarded even standard PIP. Never mind the enhanced mobility PIP that my need of a wheelchair to manage distances of over 2 metres? 4/5
Not that the DWP care about me losing my job as a result of no longer being able to get to work. My job is impossible to do from home so home working is not an option. In regards to work, because I use a wheelchair while working, the DWP have decreed this means I can walk over 200 metres.
3/5
3/5
July 10, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Not that the DWP care about me losing my job as a result of no longer being able to get to work. My job is impossible to do from home so home working is not an option. In regards to work, because I use a wheelchair while working, the DWP have decreed this means I can walk over 200 metres.
3/5
3/5
Electric wheelchair (WCS won't provide one for work purposes) if, as I suspect, the DWP double down on their decision. I have to work out how I get to work when my health stops me driving. Public transport takes too long out of my day and isn't always possible and taxis are expensive.
2/5
2/5
July 10, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Electric wheelchair (WCS won't provide one for work purposes) if, as I suspect, the DWP double down on their decision. I have to work out how I get to work when my health stops me driving. Public transport takes too long out of my day and isn't always possible and taxis are expensive.
2/5
2/5
photos before, my only hope is for the buffet to offer edible food. Fruit at breakfast would be fantastic. Just more than cereal would be great. The range they show in photos would be a dream. I'll know on Sunday morning whether this is the Sharm nightmare pt2 or the start of a Corfu Dream. 11/11
June 9, 2025 at 7:52 PM
photos before, my only hope is for the buffet to offer edible food. Fruit at breakfast would be fantastic. Just more than cereal would be great. The range they show in photos would be a dream. I'll know on Sunday morning whether this is the Sharm nightmare pt2 or the start of a Corfu Dream. 11/11
The hotel next door even offered turkey bacon at breakfast. I didn't have any, only happy I could finally have the pastries, fresh fruit and green tea I had hoped to have all week.
So, back to Corfu. The photos the hotel shows of the buffet look amazing. However, having been hurt by misleading 10/11
So, back to Corfu. The photos the hotel shows of the buffet look amazing. However, having been hurt by misleading 10/11
June 9, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The hotel next door even offered turkey bacon at breakfast. I didn't have any, only happy I could finally have the pastries, fresh fruit and green tea I had hoped to have all week.
So, back to Corfu. The photos the hotel shows of the buffet look amazing. However, having been hurt by misleading 10/11
So, back to Corfu. The photos the hotel shows of the buffet look amazing. However, having been hurt by misleading 10/11
as the crew didn't have enough hours for the return flight. I figured I would be back on chocolate digestives only to be given a reprieve when it was announced we would be staying at the hotel next door. The hotel I had decided against. Turns out you get a better buffet offering for more money 9/11
June 9, 2025 at 7:52 PM
as the crew didn't have enough hours for the return flight. I figured I would be back on chocolate digestives only to be given a reprieve when it was announced we would be staying at the hotel next door. The hotel I had decided against. Turns out you get a better buffet offering for more money 9/11
The evening buffet had choices I could have only dreamed of in Sharm. The morning buffet even offered porridge, though you had to go searching with the ladle to find the oat bit under all the milk.
The last day saw my home airport hit with a snowstorm that meant our flight home was delayed 8/11
The last day saw my home airport hit with a snowstorm that meant our flight home was delayed 8/11
June 9, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The evening buffet had choices I could have only dreamed of in Sharm. The morning buffet even offered porridge, though you had to go searching with the ladle to find the oat bit under all the milk.
The last day saw my home airport hit with a snowstorm that meant our flight home was delayed 8/11
The last day saw my home airport hit with a snowstorm that meant our flight home was delayed 8/11
I turned to the on site mini mart. They sold biscuits. Aside from my meals on excursions, I subsisted on chocolate digestives. Even the "not very good" (opinion of couple on the excursion who stayed at a nicer Sharm hotel) hotel I stayed at in Cairo understood the assignment. 7/11
June 9, 2025 at 7:52 PM
I turned to the on site mini mart. They sold biscuits. Aside from my meals on excursions, I subsisted on chocolate digestives. Even the "not very good" (opinion of couple on the excursion who stayed at a nicer Sharm hotel) hotel I stayed at in Cairo understood the assignment. 7/11
Lunch, as with dinner, was dominated by salad. The only non-salad option was pasta which pretty much everyone was queueing for. I enquired about booking one of the reservation only restaurants only to find out the only day I could book a meal was when I was on an overnight excursion to Cairo. 6/11
June 9, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Lunch, as with dinner, was dominated by salad. The only non-salad option was pasta which pretty much everyone was queueing for. I enquired about booking one of the reservation only restaurants only to find out the only day I could book a meal was when I was on an overnight excursion to Cairo. 6/11
I headed for the buffet restaurant for breakfast, hoping for fresh fruit and some pastries. Except there were none. There were cereals with milk, so not a complete loss. But no real choices beyond that. But hey, maybe this was a one-off. Lunch would surely be better, right? It wasn't. 5/11
June 9, 2025 at 7:52 PM
I headed for the buffet restaurant for breakfast, hoping for fresh fruit and some pastries. Except there were none. There were cereals with milk, so not a complete loss. But no real choices beyond that. But hey, maybe this was a one-off. Lunch would surely be better, right? It wasn't. 5/11
Yeah, the quiet part should have been a huge red flag. But! It had a buffet restaurant and 1/2 reservation only restaurants. I ignored the niggle in the back of my mind and booked. On arrival the hotel was as lovely as the photos depicted, the room was as expected. But then the façade dropped 4/ 11
June 9, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Yeah, the quiet part should have been a huge red flag. But! It had a buffet restaurant and 1/2 reservation only restaurants. I ignored the niggle in the back of my mind and booked. On arrival the hotel was as lovely as the photos depicted, the room was as expected. But then the façade dropped 4/ 11
Back in 2009 I decided I wanted to visit Sharm el Sheikh. I scrolled through review after review on the Thomson Holidays website (now Tui), and narrowed it down to 2 choices. 2 resorts next to each other, one cheaper than the other. I picked the slightly cheaper one. It looked nice and quiet. 3/11
June 9, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Back in 2009 I decided I wanted to visit Sharm el Sheikh. I scrolled through review after review on the Thomson Holidays website (now Tui), and narrowed it down to 2 choices. 2 resorts next to each other, one cheaper than the other. I picked the slightly cheaper one. It looked nice and quiet. 3/11
of "There was no food for British/English people" rather "I should have gone self catering to ensure getting edible food after the last experience of all inclusive buffets." I last did an all inclusive holiday 15 years ago and it was not the best experience I've had in my travels. 2/11
June 9, 2025 at 7:52 PM
of "There was no food for British/English people" rather "I should have gone self catering to ensure getting edible food after the last experience of all inclusive buffets." I last did an all inclusive holiday 15 years ago and it was not the best experience I've had in my travels. 2/11
The impact assessment didn't even reach the idea stage.
March 11, 2025 at 11:28 AM
The impact assessment didn't even reach the idea stage.
The links scared me, so I did the only sensible thing. I bookmarked the links and closed the tab until I get the courage to look at them again. So this video will probably be finished in about 10 years. Seriously, if anyone has any pointers, feel free to try and educate me. 7/7
December 17, 2024 at 11:56 PM
The links scared me, so I did the only sensible thing. I bookmarked the links and closed the tab until I get the courage to look at them again. So this video will probably be finished in about 10 years. Seriously, if anyone has any pointers, feel free to try and educate me. 7/7
So, I did what any newbie with crippling anxiety does. I turned to Google for recommendations and instantly regretted it. I don't know what I'm doing and any site that does "best X for Y" doesn't have a category for "can't even call themselves a beginner". So, I clicked a couple of links 6/7
December 17, 2024 at 11:56 PM
So, I did what any newbie with crippling anxiety does. I turned to Google for recommendations and instantly regretted it. I don't know what I'm doing and any site that does "best X for Y" doesn't have a category for "can't even call themselves a beginner". So, I clicked a couple of links 6/7
But, I have been brave, I transferred all the short videos from my phone (I don't have a camcorder or action camera or even a chest mount for the phone camera) to my laptop, deleted them from the phone and then realised that OBX that I've used for livestreams isn't going cut it for this. 5/7
December 17, 2024 at 11:56 PM
But, I have been brave, I transferred all the short videos from my phone (I don't have a camcorder or action camera or even a chest mount for the phone camera) to my laptop, deleted them from the phone and then realised that OBX that I've used for livestreams isn't going cut it for this. 5/7
Yeah, that's how long it's been. Video editing on PC/laptop has evolved. I have zero clue what I'm doing. I'm on a budget as I'm a one person team, so all the work falls on me. Also, I hate my voice. It sounds wrong. It's no fun trying to do a video when you have to listen to a voice you hate. 4/7
December 17, 2024 at 11:56 PM
Yeah, that's how long it's been. Video editing on PC/laptop has evolved. I have zero clue what I'm doing. I'm on a budget as I'm a one person team, so all the work falls on me. Also, I hate my voice. It sounds wrong. It's no fun trying to do a video when you have to listen to a voice you hate. 4/7
I figured that I'd think about the editing side when I got home. Those of you who have edited a video are probably seeing the mistake. I have never done a video like this before. I've done videos that I've added music over back in the day using movie maker. 3/7
December 17, 2024 at 11:56 PM
I figured that I'd think about the editing side when I got home. Those of you who have edited a video are probably seeing the mistake. I have never done a video like this before. I've done videos that I've added music over back in the day using movie maker. 3/7
The last time I went to the Christmas Markets in Cologne was 10 years ago. I didn't need a wheelchair back then and didn't really notice how accessible or otherwise places were. So, I decided that I'd take a few short videos and edit them into a longer one talking about accessibility 2/7
December 17, 2024 at 11:56 PM
The last time I went to the Christmas Markets in Cologne was 10 years ago. I didn't need a wheelchair back then and didn't really notice how accessible or otherwise places were. So, I decided that I'd take a few short videos and edit them into a longer one talking about accessibility 2/7