Access All Areas

Not when it comes to the beach, say travel bloggers Bridget and Rob, aka The Bimblers.

- Claire Saul

We really are Britain’s most unlikely travel bloggers!” Rob Obey and his partner Bridget exclaim on their website, which tries and tests accessible travel and “living life in the slow lane” for wheelchair users and people with mobility issues.

“Rob suffers from heart disease, fibromyalgia and asthma and I have refractory rheumatoid arthritis,” explains Bridget. “Unfortunately I don’t respond to any of the medication and my bone strength is so poor that even simple tasks can have a major impact on me. I am virtually unable to walk and have only limited use of my hands.”

“Due to my deteriorating condition Rob had to give up work in 2014. It was when we tried to get out and about with me in a wheelchair that we actually realised how difficult it was. It was then that we decided to write a travel blog and to explore our bucket list of places in the UK and Ireland and also just where we end up bumbling – hence our blog name, The Bimblers. We like days out, city breaks, weekends away and holidays, all of which are carefully planned because of my condition, otherwise it just sets me back.

“It isn’t always easy to find information though, so most often the only way of learning about accessibility is to go and discover it for ourselves. And then we like to share our experiences with other people.