‘Fun loving’ mobility scooter fleet helps retired guardsman and wife go car free

Thanks to a fleet of three TGA mobility scooters, ex-Grenadier Guard Andrew Chapman, 83, and wife Sandra, 80 from Ferndown in Dorset, have discovered they don’t need a car to remain mobile.

Andrew was proud to serve in the British Army and has many special memories. One of which was guarding Windsor Castle. During his duties protecting The Queen, he met his wife Sandra and has now been married for 63 years. When he retired from the Grenadier Guards, Andrew became a lorry driver and then a hi-fi salesman. He always enjoyed driving and meeting people however recently Andrew had to stop using a car due to health reasons. This meant his wife could not go out either, so they bought two TGA mobility scooters for her to pop into town and see friends. As time went on Andrew was also desperate to regain his independence, especially to visit his 89-year-old brother in Bournemouth. However, standing 6’ 2’’ tall and weighing 18 stone, ex-Guardsman Andrew was not suited to Sandra’s smaller scooters. He needed a bigger, stronger product so contacted TGA for help.

TGA organised for product specialist Shaun Finch to visit so Andrew could test drive an 8mph Breeze S4 as he explains: “When Sandra started struggling to get to the shops on her own, we got a TGA Sonet. Two years later we bought a more modern TGA Vita Lite which was a marvellous machine, however, was a bit too small for me. Without a car, I needed something larger, so the Breeze seemed the best bet. I was so glad Shaun from TGA came out to give me an assessment. The Breeze was a lovely machine, it was stable and didn’t bounce around even with my height and size. There was plenty of space on board, so I went for it.”

Now each with a scooter of their own, the Chapmans can go out together or individually without relying on a car. Andrew is able to drive to see his older brother eight miles away as the Breeze has a battery range of up to 30 miles. Having a fleet of scooters has made all the difference as Andrew concludes: “We’re thrilled to bits with our scooters as we can both get to the doctors, shops and see family without needing a car. My Breeze always puts a smile on everyone’s face when I arrive, it’s such fun. It’s so important to be able to get out and chat to people. Believe you me, I really appreciate having a nice home however it is still so important to be able to get out. As we all know more than ever, being stuck indoors is no good for anyone.”