They allowed me 2 friends/carers but they said that they won't do it again unless I get a letter from a medical professional that clearly states that I need two people to help me transfer, or that I would need 2 people in the event of needing to do an evacuation from somewhere other than the usual ride platform. If I decide to go again then I'll get my physio to write me something (she won't charge, but the GP would. I checked and they said a physio letter would be acceptable.) They did also say that they only allowed me 2 carers on Saturday because it was anticipated to be a quiet day and if the park was busier they wouldn't have allowed it.
I understand that they could be asking me to walk in order to prove that I meet the mobility requirements, and I sort of understand that. But there is a big difference between being able to walk 25m easily for the purpose of a standard load into a ride carriage and being able to walk the same distance slowly and in pain for the purpose of an evacuation from a malfunctioning ride. Also, Alton Towers have the same mobility requirements and they don't require any level of 'proof'. Again, the safety of leaving a chair on wheels on the platform is questionable but most rides have an area of platform that is behind a rope / chain or fence, or they ask me to put the brakes on the chair or place a bag in front of it so it can't roll. If that's the concern then there are other ways round that.
I think the most frustrating part was seeing that they have the facilities to be very accessible but choose for whatever reason not to use them. I'm always very patient and understanding with places that were built long ago and don't have any easy ways to adapt but seeing the facilities there and not being able to use them was worse.
I wonder if the staff training goes along the line of 'get people on the ride asap and keep queues to a minimum' and that was the reason I was treated as an inconvenience? Perhaps Alton Towers staff training goes along the idea of 'make sure everyone has a great day'? That could explain why at Alton I always get asked loads of times if I'm having a good day and nothing seems to be too much trouble. I don't know what goes on behind the scenes but I do know that the staff could have been a lot better at Thorpe on Saturday.
I did have a good day, There were just a lot of small things that would have been done to make it better and I thought I'd come back here to let you all know how it went after you were so helpful before the trip.