Out 'little' trip to @AltonTowers; well done @Alopecia_UK

When you're suffering from hairloss, there are two types of concerns with your experience; the first is the earth-shattering realisation of the obvious effects on your life, from the inability to achieve the latest hairstyles to the moments watching too much hair disappear down the plughole. Once you've got past some of these, there are then the not-so-obvious realisations, both good and bad, of how else your hairloss will affect you - from lower shampoo costs and less time spent hair washing or shaving, to the stomach-flipping fear that somehow your wig will blow off on a windy day.

For many, one such realisation is that they just can't enjoy a theme park in the same way any more. For those who opt to cover their head's with wigs, hats or headscarves, they face a difficult choice - opt to enter the corkscrew turning, upside-down, earth-spinning rides, hoping that the covering won't inadvertently fly off mid-spin, or face the prospect of unchecked stares as they opt to go bald and free. Not to mention that it can be a bit nippy up there if the sun isn't shining, and sunburn is a real risk if it is!

So what do you do? Well some clever clogs at Alopecia UK decided that a trip to UK theme park Alton Towers as a large group would a) provide an opportunity to offer support, guidance and advice and b) create an opportunity for a people to go bald and free in a group where each feels less conspicuous. So, on the 11th April (yep this post is a little late), around 150 people including alopecians and their friends and family descended on Alton Towers to enjoy a day of riding everything from CBeebies Land to The Smiler.

As a volunteer with the Adult Group, I was given the chance to meet with and chat to faces I knew and a great many more that I didn't. Electing to be the bag lady (I'm terrible on rides), there was a little waiting around, but it was awesome to spend a day catching up with old friends and meeting new. As you might have seen in this blog post earlier in the week, we also had the opportunity to share a great many personal experiences and to find commonalities we didn't necessarily expect in our hairloss journeys.

For me, what I personally get out of this event is a chance to talk to and engage with people who truly understand, and who've 'been there done that'. They have also helped me grow in confidence and I've had the pleasure to see this in others too; from those who wouldn't be seen dead without a wig suddenly exposing their head for all to see, to those who've never spoken of their experiences sharing with others! It's wonderful and helps put everything in perspective and I can safely I'm grateful to Alopecia UK for staging such great events!

I'm pretty sure everyone else enjoyed it and there were many screams of delight as people dropped into Oblivion and corkscrewed around The Smiler. The only downside for me - it was a little bit nippy which meant I was a little bit chilly so couldn't go truly bald, but I guess you really can't have it all!

Thanks to Alopecia UK and to Alton Towers for having us rowdy rabble! Here's to next year when I'll definitely be back again!

Victoria x

P.S. If you want to find out about next year's event and other great ones too, I suggest you sign up to the Alopecia UK newsletter on their website where they'll keep you up to date with this and much more.

P.P.S For those of you keen beans who loved seeing Jen in too ugly for love, you might have spotted a number of us wearing #TeamPete badges in the pictures! Yep, he was there too!

 P.P.P.S please ignore the timestamps on the photos - apparently my camera decided it was acceptable to reset it!

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