On the day Goodwood vied to become the “British Motor Show” by adding an extra opening day under the banner of the Moving Motor Show on 1st July, Stirling, one of Goodwood’s long standing patrons was opening a difference form of show, which featured many specialist vehicles, the 2010 Mobility Roadshow in Peterborough. These particular vehicles may not be as fast or exclusive as those on show at Goodwood, they do however make a vast difference to the lives of those individuals who have use of such specialised forms of transport.

As Stirling has come to appreciate himself following his own accident, getting around in a wheel chair possess a range of problems, from access to buildings to getting a wheel chair and its user into a vehicle. He is still recovering from his fall down a lift shaft earlier this year and Andrew English, reporting on the show for the Daily Telegraph, asked him “how do the facilities available to him now compare to those available after his 1962 accident at the Goodwood Motor Circuit.”
 
By way of comparison Stirling showed him his high-tech shooting and walking stick that was especially made from him by David Richards of Prodrive and Aston Martin for his 80th birthday last year, “technology and materials have moved on a lot from the old wooden crutches I had back then” said Stirling, adding "I used to think a wheelchair is just a wheelchair and once you'd seen one, you'd seen them all. Well, walking round the show, I can't tell you how impressed I am with the variety and craftsmanship of these chairs. They're using all sorts of new materials and designs."
 
Stirling went onto visit many of the companies present at the show and tried out a number of wheel chairs for himself. Although he is well on the road to a full recovery he can fully appreciate the need for this kind of show and the benefits the products and services offer to those individuals who need them.
 
For the full report on the Mobility Roadshow 2010 by Andrew English please click here