Dog ears and blindfolds in, I’m ready to eat.

On Thursday, I ate a whole meal blindfolded at Newport’s Drago Lounge to raise money for Guide Dogs Cymru.

Not even attempting to use knife and fork and not caring about how messy my t-shirt would be, the experience was an education to what it must be like to have a visual impairment.

A lot more quiet than usual, I was very focused on the task ahead and carefully touched the table looking for my food. All of a sudden, eating was a lot more difficult than usual and the restaurant became a lot noisier. I wasn't entirely sure about what I was eating and was afraid I’d knock my drink or the candle on the table down.

“For me, this is a good way to raise awareness of what it is like to be visually impaired,” says Hilary Lester, 59, from the Gaer, a volunteer at the Guide Dogs branch in Newport and the main organiser of the meal, which is the first of its kind in the city.

“Having a visual impairment can be quite a scary experience and going out for a meal can be difficult.

“Some of it is confidence.

“Also, you feel everyone is looking at you because you drop stuff or aren’t eating very tidily.

“The worst is if you need to go to the toilet. I need to find someone to take me.

“I know most people don’t mind, but it’s so embarrassing.

“It can also be difficult to get people to listen to you.”

Mrs Lester can’t see a lot and, over the years, has had many operations, including for detached retinas, cataracts and a glaucoma, where the optic nerve becomes damaged.

She was registered blind in 2002 and got Yalena, her first guide dog, in 2010, after her husband died.

She says: “I needed something to get me out and she has really helped me.

“She wasn’t a last resource, Yalena gave me my independence back.

“She’s wonderful, she takes me to so many places. Today, we went to Cwmbran and we’ve been to Cardiff recently.

“She’s a fantastic ice-breaker, people talk more to me because of her.

“She makes me feel human, and the majority of guide dogs owners I know say the same.”

Mrs Lester says that Yalena is a lovely dog that puts a smile on her face every day and that, these days, she feels 100 per cent secure with her.

She says: “She’s very loving and intuitive.

“She knows when I’m upset and, for instance, the other day I was really anxious about my mum, who has dementia, coming to visit me. I didn’t want her to come.

“I was sat on the floor and Yalena came to sit and put her paw on my hand, as if she wanted to say it was ok.

“She’s fabulous.”

Forty-nine-year-old Sian Healey, from Blackwood, is a friend of Mrs Lester and attended the “Dine in the Dark” meal at the Newport restaurant with her husband and her guide dog, Arnie.

“I thought the experience was really interesting,” Mrs Healey says. “My husband said he found it an eye-opener - tonight, I found it easier than him to eat.

“I was telling him I’ll always be careful about the food I chose when I go out. I’ll not choose something that’s tricky to eat, for example. Using knife and fork is difficult.”

Mrs Healey, who has been a guide dog owner for seven years, is a volunteer with Guide Dogs Cymru and she speaks at schools about the work of Guide Dogs. She also helps with collections at parties and events.

Mrs Healey, who’s extremely sensitive to light and, if it changes quickly, can’t see anything, says: “I find the cane negative, while the guide dog is very positive.

“Arnie is my companion and he has made a big difference in my life, I’m confident and independent because of him.

“He takes me to the shops, to meet people, for coffee and to adult classes, for example.

“He gets me involved in the community.”

Ben and Yve Strawson, 79, from Cwmbran, have been training guide dogs since they retired and, for one night, they’re getting involved with Guide Dogs in a different way.

“We get to see the puppies we’ve trained at events like this,” says Mrs Strawson. “It’s wonderful.

“We’ve had 14 puppies in total. We’ve trained different dogs; German Shepherds, Labradors and Labradoodles, which are the best kind of dog for people who have allergies to dog hair.

“We’ve a puppy at the moment, she’s called Amber and she’s five months old. We won’t be staying late tonight because of her.”

She says that they get the puppy when it’s six or seven weeks old and keep until they’re up to 14 months old.

“We teach them how to be a guide dog,” says Mr Strawson. “I think of it as a pyramid. We put a solid base.

“If you go into puppy walking, you know what’s going to happen. The dog isn’t going to die or to be put down, it’s going to do a very important job.”

Joane Foy, 40, from Cardiff, whose husband is fully blind and has had a guide dog since he was about 18-years-old, dined in the dark with a group of friends.

“I know it’s different because I can take the blindfold off, but it was a very good night,” she says. “It was very strange. I really had to concentrate to eat and I didn’t talk.

“I ate all the food blindfolded, but I didn’t like listening to the speeches blindfolded.”

The night, which raised around £400, ended with a raffle, an auction and speeches.

“I really appreciate everyone’s support tonight,” says Frank Greig, Community Fundraiser for Guide Dogs Cymru. “We hope that we raised awareness of how important guide dogs are – and, with a little help of some blindfolds, that it gave a little insight into what the visually impaired have to cope with on a day-to-day basis.

“We’ve got some wonderful guide dog owners, their help really make a big difference.

“In Wales, we’ve an excellent puppy walking scheme. We’ll be trialling new scheme. Nowadays, when the puppies reach a certain age and level of their training, they’re taken to a big school.

“With this scheme, they’ll do their basic, advance and partnership training in Wales. So, I hope that in the very near future, in about two years, we’ll have Welsh puppy dogs.

“I’m very excited about it – we’ll match Welsh guide dogs to Welsh people.”

For more information about Guide Dogs Cymru, visit guidedogs.org.uk/guide-dogs-cymru