The great fire of London has captured my granddaughter Lily’s imagination. We have been discussing the fire as she was learning about the historical events in history. As I would have some free time in London, I decided that I must go and visit the Monument near to London Bridge. In all my time in London, the Monument is a place that I have never visited. The Monument commemorates the Great Fire of London in 1666. Having stayed overnight in London, I wanted to see the sunrise from the Tower of London. As I was in the area, my next stop was St Katherine’s dock for breakfast and then a walk on the North Bank of the Thames to the Monument.
When I arrived at the monument, I was able to walk straight in but before going up I was informed that there was a performance taking place and hoped that this would not impact on my experience. Quite the opposite, I was pleased that not only would I be climbing the 311 steps up to the top but that there was the chance to experience something different. At the bottom of the monument there was a wheel chair which gave a clue to what was happening higher up the stairs.
Two thirds of the way up, I met Anahita who was shuffling up the stairs. She was dressed in climbing gear and was moving up the stairs back first. I asked Anahita how she was getting on and whether she minded me taking her picture.
This brave and inspirational woman explained that she was performing ‘STEPS’, a never-seen-before performance. Anahita is a British Iranian artist who is a wheelchair user. Her performance was being live streamed. After passing by, I reached the top of the monument and enjoyed the amazing views. I even recorded a video for the grandchildren to let them know that I had been to the top. On the way back down, I encountered Anahita again who was nearly at the top. I wished her well and continued down the steps to the bottom. She left a big impression and congratulations on her strength and determination.
Here are a few links about Anahita and her work to bring recognition to Wheelchair users.
