Apparently Stirling was ‘absolutely fascinated’ with the variety of mobility products on display and ‘marvelled at how technically advanced many of the solutions are these days.’  In fact, pound for pound modern day mobility scooters are more advanced technically than the Formula One cars Stirling drove in the 60’s. Obviously not as fast though.

 Tim Ross of TGA said, “We were delighted to welcome Sir Stirling onto our stand and assist him around the show. He explained to me the marvellous and inventive mobility solutions he had seen on our stand and around the show and concluded that his recent accident proved restricted mobility can happen anytime – hence experiencing The Mobility Roadshow was a must.”

It’s difficult when you’re a retired Formula One driver

The Mobility Roadshow was held earlier this month at the East of England Showground, Peterborough. Free to attend, the Roadshow is the only event of it’s kind in the UK where visitors can test drive a whole range of mobility products and adapted vehicles before purchasing. There was plenty to get involved with at this year’s show which included wheelchair basketball, rugby, tag rugby, sledge hockey, wheelchair dance and skills sessions for younger visitors. Plus in the Activity Zone you could try your hand at laser clays, archery, the climbing wall, adapted go-karts and a 4×4 experience.

The weather was great for all three days, which was fantastic for visitors, but left a few exhibitors red-faced and white-strapped from a lack of suntan cream.

Many exhibitors launch new products at the Roadshow, which means you get to see the latest innovations in mobility technology before they reach the market. My favourites?  There were some good offerings from Aquasoothe especially its unbelievably light portable scooter called the TravelLite which splits into 3 parts (so it can easily be taken on trains and planes); More Than Mobility with its stunning range of electric wheelchairs;   TGA and its Supersport; Portaramp (lightweight wheelchair access ramps); and Q’Straint (world leader in wheelchair passenger safety solutions) – all launched new products this year that resulted in high levels of interest, especially when visitors could touch and test products before purchasing.

Aquasoothe’s TravelLite which weighs just 25 kilogrammes

As ever, The Mobility Roadshow provided a great day out (for the whole family) and will do the same next year. Just remember to take your suntan cream!

All the leading specialists will be there with new products and you have the unique opportunity to test-drive many of them before purchase within the outdoor arena. This is the only event of its kind in the UK and will be opened by Sir Stirling Moss. Go along and maybe you can see whether you can beat Sir Stirling round the racetrack!

There will be a vast selection of new products on display, everything to help you with mobility and includes stands from specialist companies such as TGA, Portaramp and Q’Straint and Otto Bock to name a few.

TGA, the market leading scooter specialist from Suffolk will be launching the new funky Vita 3 which is a real eye-catcher. Its 4 wheel sister model has proved so popular for people who want a modern, stylish scooter that is really cool-looking, TGA knew they had to launch a more manoeuvrable 3 wheel version. Engineered with components from the automotive industry, the Vita 3 would look at home on Top Gear as it is so radically different – go and have a test drive but try not to wheel spin as much as Clarkson!

TGA’s Vita 3

Also on display from TGA will be the rest of its outstanding range that includes the latest Breeze 3 and 4 Midi’s, the enhanced Eclipse car boot scooter that can be personalised and the revolutionary, redesigned wheelchair powerpack.

Perfect for relieving the strain of pushing a wheelchair-using-friend or relative, the new Powerpack from TGA is even easier to drive, has better traction and is simple to fit to any wheelchair. Copied but never equalled, this latest generation model looks great and is fantastic for tackling grass, gravel and hills. Even Clive Burr the ex drummer from Iron Maiden has one and says it’s the best thing he has ever bought – how’s that for a unique endorsement!

For some added celebrity glamour, ‘Marilyn Monroe’ will be appearing on the TGA stand on the first day. Not only will there be a competition to win movie tickets, if it’s your birthday you may even be lucky enough to receive a rendition of her infamous song!

In addition to mobility scooter specialists such as TGA, there will be exhibitors demonstrating all the other latest products to keep you mobile. Portaramp for example will be launching two new ramps, which are high quality, extremely durable yet lightweight and give access to your home, work or vehicle if you use a wheelchair, scooter or powerchair.

Q’Straint is an international leader in wheelchair restraint systems for all types of transport and will be launching the new QLK-150 wheelchair docking system.  This enables less able individuals who can drive a car with the ability to safely secure themselves without the need to transfer into a standard vehicle seat – very impressive.

So all in all, everyone going to this event should have a great time. Just remember however much you enjoy your test drive, don’t drive off onto any dual carriageways as that guy did in Essex last week. Avoid an Asbo, enjoy the Expo instead!

Finally, for more information on mobility scooters, don’t forget to visit Mobility Compare’s mobility scooter price comparison guide.  Also, don’t forget to download Mobility Compare’s scooter buyer’s guide!

Thanks to Jon for the guest post…..