There is an old saying that you never really appreciate something until it is taken away from you, if only for a short time. I have come to realise the truth of this in the last week when, in the heavy snow, I have been denied the freedom to get out. I only have full use in one leg and this means I have to use a stick – a real trendy fold-up one - and a mobility scooter to get around the Woodingdean area. I also have a lovely bus pass to go further afield. The scooter cannot manage the snow and the stick – as trendy as it is – will not keep me upright and so, for most of the last week, I have been housebound.

Every single day I have been thinking: if only I could get out and go to Starbucks, Nero's all one of the other coffee shops I get to or do some shopping, I could go and see that person or this person, go to the cinema, a supermarket or the meditation group, or the Library or I could get some information for a story that I want to do for the Argus community pages. But no the horrible snow kept me in.

For now it begins to look at the snow is beginning to thaw and I might soon be able to get out again and so if you see somebody throwing his stick into the air and giving a shout of glee, it'll probably be me realising what I have missed and just glad to get out again.