York Theatre Royal panto!

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The York Theatre Royal pantomime this year is at the National Railway Museum! The theatre had hoped to be open again after a refurb in time for the panto but as with a lot of building projects in York, they found ancient ruins which had to be investigated.

Staging the panto, Dick Wittington (and his meerkat), at the Signal Box Theatre at the museum has meant some imaginative working out of entrances and exits. The audience sits facing eachother on two ‘platforms’ with a railway track in between along which incredibly hard-working stage hands push and pull sections of stage with sets or sometimes a train on them and move them up and down even while the cast are acting and dancing on them! There is the usual filmed section and a luminous underwater section. Other railway-related plays have been staged here during the theatre renovations. The main actors have been doing the Theatre Royal panto together for years so work wonderfully together.

The panto is not to everyone’s taste but members of my family who have come with us on occasion who are not York residents, have also found it hilarious and didn’t find the local references or in-jokes at all alienating!

We received an e-mail a day or so in advance explaining about parking in some detail but I still found it a bit confusing – we got a cab in the end and there were lots of marshals on hand to direct you. There are disabled parking bays.

Access from the carpark is a little bumpy but my scooter coped all right and there are ramps to get you in to the venue itself. We had front row seats so no steps were involved and then the scooter was stored during the performance.

I’m looking forward to next year at the revamped theatre as access will be much better than it used to be but I thoroughly recommend going to the panto at this venue because it is a different but just as excellent an experience.

Joglaresa

~ Alison ~ 1 Comment

Another great concert at the wonderfully accessible NCEM. We’ve seen Joglaresa before playing medieval Spanish/Jewish songs – this time it was medieval Christmas music from France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia as well as English, using traditional instruments and it was utterly gorgeous! They are sold out for their other concerts in the north but if you are in the south, they still have tickets left for their concerts there – I totally recommend it! You can get a flavour on their Facebook page and on their website which has details of their upcoming concerts. We bought their album ‘Nuns and Roses’ – it made more use of electric music than the concert but it did not disappoint!

 

See also my review of Sondorgo at the NCEM.

Massage

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If you get sore shoulders from too much hunching over the computer then Sarah will shift them for you! Friendly but totally professional, Sarah will explain what she’s doing and give you advice on how to avoid getting the same problem again. She does home visits, bringing her own massage table or you can sit on a chair, whatever works or you. You definitely feel like your body works better after a proper massage from Sarah!

For details of her qualifications, prices and contact details, click here.

Fabulous music venue!

NCEM entrance
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Söndörgő are a Hungarian group, comprising three brothers, their cousin and a school friend who play folk tunes from Hungary and other countries on various sized tambura – a mandolin-like instrument  – and also on the flute, clarinet, drum, double-base and various other exotic instruments as well as vocals now and then too. Sometimes quiet and melodic at other times fast and furious, they are versatile and well worth catching if they tour the UK again! Have a taster! CDs were on sale on the night.

NCEM2
NCEM interior (with a different band!)

The National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) is a brilliantly accessible venue with a ramp and then heaps of space inside. OK, the thresholds meant a bit of a bump but nothing drastic and it was easy to find a place to sit then put my Luggie scooter to one side or if you were in a wheelchair you could easily site it at the end of a row or move a chair out of the way. As we entered the auditorium, staff offered to help should we need it. In fact, the evening we were there for Söndörgő, there were three people using wheels of various kinds. There is an accessible loo and leaflets are displayed at a reachable height. They also do refreshments: beer, wine, soft drinks etc before the show and during the interval.

NCEMWe have been to the NCEM many times and have never had a duff experience although we always choose bands with at least four musicians as there was one occasion when there were only three and though lovely, the music did sound a little thin. We have seen some groups which you could describe as ‘early’ music (medieval Spanish) but mostly we’ve see what I guess you would call world music: Indian, Jewish, Eastern European – they have a huge variety! It’s a wonderful venue, being a converted church and with the friendly staff and great music there is always a lovely atmosphere.

http://www.ncem.co.uk/

New page of links

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I’ve added a page of links to my website – let me know if it’s useful or if any links don’t work! https://accessibilityreviews.org/links/ 

One to check out

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If ever you are going somewhere with someone with mobility, hearing, visual or other impairment, it’s worth having a look at the DisabledGo website first. It has access information about a good range of places in the UK.  You can search for accessible places such as restaurants, hotels, shops and parks in a particular place and they are listed along with symbols to say if they have ramp access, accessible toilets, large print menu, if the staff have disability awareness training. This part is compiled by surveyors from the website.

For most places but not all you can click for a more detailed description of the access. The different categories of information, for example, parking, outside access, toilets, will expand to give further detail such as distances, whether doors are automatic, light levels etc. and sometimes there are photos which is a really good idea.

However I find I am still not entirely sure whether a venue is accessible or not. The description might say ‘There is not level access’ then in another section it talks of ramps without making it clear exactly where it is you can find the level entrance if there is one. I wonder if the issue arises from venues filling out a form rather than describing the access themselves. At least the form-filling means they mention plenty of issues such as colour contrast or whether there is piped music but in the end, I would not feel confident visiting some of these venues without checking with them first about access.doorway

I investigated a particular York restaurant that is accessible but according to DisabledGo it has an accessible toilet that does not have level access to it! I checked with the venue and indeed, they do have level access to the accessible toilet and I suggested they might like to get the error corrected but it is still there – either unreported or uncorrected! Another restaurant, which I know has a step to get in, has the symbol for ramped access – does this mean they will provide a ramp? It is not explained. An entry for a York park says it does not have level access to get in but if you click the additional information it explains that the ramp bypasses the steps – you could easily miss that information (plus I know there are several other entrances which are level anyway) and it says there is not level access once you are in but again I know it does as I go there often with my scooter! Elsewhere, a country park mentions that some paths have steps but does not actually say they provide you with a map so that you can avoid them. Am I nit-picking?

Anyway, potentially a really useful site and definitely worth consulting but it is still worth checking with the venue if you need to confirm some of the details.

http://www.disabledgo.com/

A foggy day at Fountains Abbey!

Fountains Abbey in the fog!
~ Alison ~ 4 Comments
Fountains Abbey in the fog!
Fountains Abbey in the fog!

OK, so sunshine would have been great but it was so atmospheric with the abbey ruins looming out of the murk!

Park at the West Gate entrance and this is where you may need someone to help, go to the lodge at the gates and they will show you what to do: they open the gates so you can drive in and park and they bring the scooter to you. (Presumably you could also leave your car in the car park which has blue Badge spaces).

The paths are lovely and smooth and the setting is magnificent. We would have explored further if the weather had been better as the grounds are extensive. Following the main path, you eventually come to the lake at the Studley Royal end – I was looking forward to going along by the lake but at the lodge house here they said you can’t take the scooters along there as they aren’t insured.

Smooth paths at Fountains Abbey
Smooth paths at Fountains Abbey

You can go through the gates and visit the tea-rooms just outside them which also have outside seating. There are various accessible loos in the grounds but I’m not sure if any are big enough to take the scooter so that could be slightly problematic.

They are really fabulous scooters – substantial without being too huge and really easy to use (this is compared to the ones at Roundhay Park).

To book or enquire ring: 01765 608888.

I definitely fancy going back in warmer weather!

Rowntree Park, York

Rowntree Park lake
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Rowntree Park is always lovely but particularly so in Autumn and just fabulous right now! In Spring it has daffodils and ducklings; there is a ‘reading-café’ which is accessible, a children’s play area and tennis club and you can access the river walkways with their viewing points and the Millennium footbridge over the River Ouse. Parking is reached via Terry Avenue.

Rowntree Park lake
Rowntree Park lake

The paths are smooth so the whole place is eminently scootable as are the paths by the river. Look out for the flood levels on the dove cote (itself a memorial to Rowntree’s workers who died in WW1) – the one from 2000 is way above your head!

Rowntree Park
Rowntree Park

The drawback is that the park does flood so is sometimes closed while levels recede and the place dries out a bit. Also the large amount of geese (or rather their droppings) do mean you can’t just sit anywhere on the grass but there are plenty of benches.

For more information see the council’s page on the park: https://www.york.gov.uk/directory_record/376/rowntree_park and DisabledGo has their usual rather unuser-friendly entry on the café: http://www.disabledgo.com/access-guide/city-of-york-council/rowntree-park-reading-cafe-2

These places are also great to visit in Autumn! Fountains Abbey  Roundhay Park, Leeds

Magnificent autumn colours!

glorious colurs at Roundhay Parko
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The autumn colours seem to be particularly fabulous this year and our determination to get out and see them took us to Roundhay Park.

glorious colurs at Roundhay Parko
Glorious colurs at Roundhay Park

We had borrowed scooters here before but they have changed where you collect them – now it is from the shop at Tropical World. They take your details and show you how the scooter works. There is a slight snag though if you were visiting on your own – how would you get into Tropical World to collect your scooter? At Temple Newsham, for example, they bring the scooter to your car. I suppose not everywhere can do that but it’s something to bear in mind – you need to be able to get to the collection point or have someone with you who can collect the scooter for you.

Huge scooters at Roundhay Park!
Huge scooters at Roundhay Park!

Anyway, once on the scooter (and they are very high – more so than last time, it was a struggle to get on!) we visited the Alhambra Gardens over the road then headed for the park proper and the colours were absolutely magnificent! So glad we went!

The scooters cope with uneven terrain really well but go rather fast when you’re heading downhill and I found it a little awkward keeping the lever in the ‘on’ position but we were out for a good hour and a half, so it can’t have been that bad! According to the council website you need a Radar key for the toilets and beware when looking up the number to ring for booking – the one on the park’s own website is wrong, it’s the one on the council website that is right: 0113 2370754. There is a café at Tropical World and at The Mansion and another by the Waterloo Lake. The booking process was easy once I had the right number, staff were pleasant, the park is wonderful and I thoroughly recommend a visit!

Waterloo Lake, Roundhay Park
Waterloo Lake, Roundhay Park

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/leisure/Pages/Roundhay-Park.aspx

Other great places for Autumn colours are Fountains Abbey and Rowntree Park, York.

The Parsonage Hotel and Restaurant, Escrick, N. Yorks

The Parsonage, Escrick
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We were invited here for Sunday lunch with family friends and overall the experience was great: private dining room, good company, relaxed atmosphere and pleasant staff. The setting is wonderful, especially on a sunny day with autumn colours everywhere and the gardens looked lovely. The food however was nothing special: I had a starter of prawns in a Marie Rose sauce straight out of a bottle, the roast pork main course was good without being great and the lemon tart dessert was somewhat stodgy; house wine was fine, coffee was good.

The Parsonage, Escrick
The Parsonage, Escrick

I couldn’t find anything on the website about access, so I rang to ask and was told that there is a side entrance which is accessible but we just needed to check with reception when we arrived that it was open. Getting round to the side entrance was no problem, and it felt like a proper garden entrance rather than just some random back door, but the threshold had rather a high lip to get over which gave quite a jolt. Inside had ramps and an accessible toilet and although getting into the bar was a little exact, it was manageable and the other rooms were perfectly spacious. Leaving at the end was problematic as the high threshold had a slight slope on the incoming side but none on the outgoing, so my scooter could not have coped with it and we had to lift it over. Presumably wheelchairs cope with it OK given that the place is geared for them generally.

On the whole, I like the way they have incorporated ramps without spoiling the character of the building and the staff were excellent at being welcoming and helpful but I would not rush back as the food was not something to go out of your way for.

http://www.parsonagehotel.co.uk/index.htm