Natural History Museum - Age of the Dinosaurs

Welcome back to Access London and thank you once again for your continued support for disability access and awareness in the Capital.

As we are nearing the end of the school summer holidays in the UK, this is an additional post this week for those looking for something to do as a family over the next couple of weeks.

The Natural History Museum is located in South Kensington and has an enormous permanent collection of interesting and fun objects, with interactive activities, cafes and shops. This year has also seen a very popular exhibition at the museum - Age of the Dinosaurs.

This exhibition is due to close on the 4th September 2011 and so now is the perfect time to go and visit the museum to enjoy this and the permanent collection before the new school term starts. Although the museum does have a permanent collection on dinosaurs including, fossils, models and animatronics, this special exhibition takes you on a journey through the time of the dinosaurs and includes lots of interactive fun for the whole family. It also has animatronic dinosaurs and objects to see, touch and hear, all 'fangtastic' fun!

The exhibition is open from 10am until 6pm everyday and you can book tickets at the museum's information desk or online via the museum's website HERE

Ticket prices are £10 for adults, £6 for children and concessions (including students and disabled visitors), £28 for a family ticket and also 1 companion/carer can enter for free with every disabled visitor.

The exhibition is fully accessible for those using a wheelchair or mobility scooter. There are wide pathways leading around the route of the exhibition and all the cases are at a height visible to those using a wheelchair. There are a couple of places throughout the exhibition where forest and jungle scenes have been recreated with dinosaurs in - these are fully accessible but are quite dark inside. The paths are all clearly marked though and fully accessible with just a couple of gentle slopes.

The museum itself has its main entrance on the Cromwell Road. However, this entrance has many steps leading up to it. For the accessible and step-free entrance, please use the Exhibition Road entrance that has a level access foyer and lift up to the main exhibition level. The cafes are access friendly and there are accessible facilities onsite. For any questions relating to access, please call the museum's information line on: 020 7942 5839.

The museum also has several wheelchairs that it can loan to visitors for the duration of their visit, to book one, please call the customer service line on:
020 7942 5839. There is also a limited amount of disabled blue badge parking onsite. Due to road works that are currently being carried out on Exhibition Road, these spaces are slightly more limited so it is best to ring in advance to book one on:
020 7942 5888.

Although the Age of the Dinosaurs is a paid exhibition, you can visit the permanent dinosaur collection, or any of the museum's other permanent collections for free everyday.

COMING SOON: South Pacific, The Tempest, Phantom of the Opera's 25th Celebrations

Tate Modern - Miro Exhibition

Welcome back to Access London everyone, thanks once again for your continued support for disability access and awareness in the capital.

Today's post looks at the Tate Modern and one of its current exhibitions - Miro. I wrote a post on Tate Britain a couple of months ago which describes the access to that gallery, please scroll down to previous posts if you are interested in visiting that attraction also.

Joan Miró
The Farm, 1921-2
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Gift of Mary Hemingway
© Successió Miró/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2011




Tate Modern is situated right on the river front between Southwark and and London Bridge tube stations. The Thames pathway that runs along past the gallery is a wide and accessible walkway along the river Thames and is a great way to visit the gallery. You can also travel between the two London Tate galleries on the Tate River Boat which is accessible to wheelchair users. Alternatively, if you are driving to the gallery, there are 5 disabled parking spaces onsite that can be booked in advance by calling 020 7887 8888.

The gallery is open 10.00-18.00 Sunday to Thursday and 10.00-22.00 Fridays and Saturdays.

Joan Miró
The Escape Ladder 1940
Museum of Modern Art, New York
© Successió Miró/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2011




Both the Main Entrance on Holland Street and the River Entrance on Queen's Walk are accessible to those with disabilities. Inside the gallery there are lifts to all exhibition floors and there are accessible toilets on each floor also.

In addition, the gallery has 10 wheelchairs and 2 mobility scooters that can be booked in advanced and used within the gallery for those who do not have their own - please call 020 7887 8888.

The Tate Modern currently has its Miro exhibition running until September 11th 2011. This is a relatively large exhibition running throughout more than a dozen rooms in the gallery. It depicts the work of Joan Miro, the renowned Spanish Surrealist painter, and exhibits work from across six decades of his carrer.

Joan Miró
Still Life with Old Shoe 1937
Museum of Modern Art, New York
© Successió Miró/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2011



"Joan Miro's works come to London in the first major retrospective here for nearly 50 years. Renowned as one of the greatest Surrealist painters, filling his paintings with luxuriant colour, Miro worked in a rich variety of styles. This is a rare opportunity to enjoy more than 150 paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints from moments across the six decades of his career."

The captions and free booklet you are given upon entry to the exhibition describe moments in his personal and professional life and include revelations about this very political artist - including his involvement in the Spanish Civil War and subsequent exile. With many of Miro's most striking pieces of work featured in the exhibition, it is one not to be missed.

Joan Miró
May 68, 1968 - 1973
Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona
Photo: Jaume Blassi
© Successió Miró/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2011





The exhibition rooms are very accessible and large with plenty of room for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. There is a concession price for disabled visitors and 1 carer can enter for free with every disabled guest.

Tate Modern also has a dedicated Access Programme that includes: Hearing Loops, BSL Multimedia Guides, BSL Talks, Large-Print Caption and Exhibition Guides, Audio-Described Highlight Tours, Touch Tours and Visual Descriptive Tours. For more information on any of these and other access queries, please call 020 7887 8888.



COMING SOON: London Eye, London Eye River Cruise, The 39 Steps, Phantom of the Opera's 25th Anniversary Celebrations

Tate Britain - Watercolour Exhibition Part 2

Welcome back to Access London everyone and thank you once again for supporting this site and disability access and awareness.

Today's short post continues on from yesterday's on Tate Britain's Watercolour exhibition. For more information on the gallery, exhibition, its access, times and prices, please scroll down to yesterday's post.

As promised, today's post is an interview with Tate Britain's Community and Access Curator, Nora Razian.....




AL: Who are you and what is your role at the Tate?
NR: Nora Razian. I'm the Community and Access Curator at Tate Britain.

AL: Can you briefly explain how Tate Britain is accessible to those with disabilities and mobility problems?
NR: All Tate Britain's entries are accessible to those with mobility problems; we also have elevators in the gallery and disabled parking spaces for visitors that can be booked in advance.

AL: Do you have a current special offer or exhibition that is accessible to those with disabilities?
NR: All our exhibitions are accessible to those with disabilities. In addition, we have events such as, BSL and lipspeaking-assisted talks around key works in the collection or around works in an exhibition. We also offer picture description tours on the collection. These tours can be booked in advance by contacting me directly or through contacting Tate Britain on 020 7887 4946.

AL: Do you have any concessions for disabled visitors and/or their carers?
NR: We offer concession prices to both disabled visitors and their carers.

AL: Can you sum up in 5 words the Tate Britain Experience?
NR: Singular, Dynamic, Enriching, Surprising, Engaging


Access London would like to offer a huge thank you to Nora for taking the time to answer some questions.

Watercolour is on at Tate Britain until the 21st August 2011. To book tickets for the exhibtion, please see the gallery's website: www.tate.org.uk/britain

Please feel free to leave a comment, follow this blog and spread the word about Access London.

COMING SOON: Love Never Dies, The Wizard of Oz, The London Eye

Tate Britain - Watercolour Exhibition

Welcome back to Access London, thank you for your continued support for disability access and awareness in London. After a few week's break, whilst I was on holiday, Access London is back for a busy June.

Today's post is the first of 2 on Tate Britain's Watercolour exhibition.

The Tate Britain is located in Pimlico near Vauxhall Bridge and opens daily from 10am until 6pm. For the Watercolour exhibition, the most convenient entrance is the Manton Entrance on Atterbury Street, off of Millbank. For those in a wheelchair or mobility scooter, there is a long, wide, paved slope down from the pavement level to the entrance which has automatic sliding doors.

Once inside there is a cafe, shop, ticketing hall/collections and toilets, including disabled ones. The exhibition itself is very near to this entrance and you don't need to use a lift to get to it. The exhibition is fairly large and is all on the same level.

Watercolour explores the use of this medium over the last 800 years. The exhibition is divided into rooms, each with its own theme - travel, botanical, portraits, history of watercolour tools, war and many others. The themes are so diverse that I believe anyone will find 1 or 2 rooms that really appeals to them. One of my favourites was the very first room. This included examples of intricately painted books from 800 years ago, protraits inside pendents and maps. The travel room displayed pieces from all over Europe, some of my favourites dipicted scenes in Northern Africa and Italy.

The exhibition ends with how Watercolour is being used today, with examples from Tracey Emin. This exhibition really does have something for everyone plus, you can always stop for luch after and then take a look around the main collection which is free to enter.


Watercolour runs at Tate Britain until the 21st August 2011. It costs £12.70 for an adult to enter the exhibition. For disabled visitors there is a concession to £10.90 - a carer is also admitted for free for each disabled visitor.

The Gallery has 2 parking spaces on-site that can be booked by disabled visitors - to do so, call 020 7887 8888. This number can also be used to book a wheelchair or mobility scooter that can be used around the gallery if you do not have your own.

The Tate's website writes about this exhibition:
"Watercolour at Tate Britain invites you to challenge your preconceptions of what watercolour is. The most ambitious exhibition about watercolour ever to be staged, with works spanning 800 years, this boundary-breaking suvery celebrates the full variety of ways watercolour has been used."



To visit Tate Britain's website and to book tickets for Watercolour, please see www.tate.org.uk

Tomorrow's post will contain an interview with the Community and Access Curator at Tate Britain.

Also to come this month: Love Never Dies, The Wizard of Oz, Miro exhibition at Tate Modern and beginning the celebrations for Phantom of the Opera's 25th Birthday.

The National Gallery - An American Experiment Exhibition - Part 2

Welcome back to Access London and the second part of my series on The National Gallery and its exhibition 'An American Experiment: George Bellows and The Ashcan Painters'.

If you missed the post yesterday, please feel free to scroll down and read it. It contains details of access requirements if you use a wheelchair or mobility scooter and also has an interesting interview with the Access Officer and Senior Information Manager at the gallery.

Today's post will focus more on the exhibition itself. Access London has been fortunate enough to interview the curator of the exhibition, here's what he had to say...

X7318, George Luks, Knitting for the soldiers: High Bridge Park, 1918, Copyright Photo Courtesy of the Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel. J, Terra Collection, Chicago, 1999.87





AL: Who are you and what is your role at The National Gallery?
CR: I am Christopher Riopelle, Curator of Post 1800 Paintings at The National Gallery. T: 020 7747 2804 E: chris.riopelle@ng-london.org.uk

AL: What work and time is involved to bring an exhibition such as 'An American Experiment' to the UK?
CR: An American Experiment was put together in the relatively brief period of fourteen months from the time we propsed an exhibition on George Bellows and his colleagues to our collaborators on the project, the Terra Foundation for American Art, and I and my fellow curator, Katherine Bourguignon of the Terra Foundation, began to identify and solicit loans. From then, the usual tasks involved in mounting an exhibition with foreign loans kicked in; they simply had to be carried out by the various departments of the National Gallery on a speeded-up timetable.

x7315, William Glackens, Washington Square, 1910, Copyright New Britain Museum of American Art, Charles F. Smith Fund, 1944.03. Photo: Alex Morganti






AL: Why did the gallery choose this particular group of artists to dedicate an exhibition to?
CR: The purpose of our on-going collaboration with The Terra Foundation is to introduce aspects of the American painting tradition, little known here, to British and European audiences. There was broad agreement that Bellows is a remarkable artist, arguably the most innovative American painter of the early 20th Century, but that he is hardly known on this side of the Atlantic. This would be our opportunity to introduce him to a new audience, although it would always be a 'taste', rather than an exhaustive presentation. Because the exhibition was conceived as an introduction to Bellows, we also determined that we should show him in the context of his closest painterly colleagues, the so-called Ashcan Painters.

AL: Why were the 12 paintings in the exhibition specifically chosen to represent the painters and their style?
CR: We were particularly interested in showing Bellows as a landscape painter. This dictated our choice of paintings, especially the four views of Manhattan that hardly show Manhattan at all. We also wanted to show these artists as figurative painters and social commentators. As a major Bellows retrospective exhibition is coming to the Royal Academy in 2013, we did not want to duplicate works that will be shown there. With only one exception of a loan refused, because of the fragile condition of the painting, we were able to borrow all the works we asked for.

x7309 George Bellows, Blue Snow, The Battery, 1910, Copyright Columbus Museum of Art, Howald Fund Purchase 1958.035






AL: For those who have never heard of this group of artists before, how would you describe their style of art?
CR: These are realist painters dedicated to detailing the social scene in a rapidly changing and expanding America, and to forging a distinctive American school of painting. Their art of social realism is tinged with expressionism and with a new freedom in the handling of paint that had only recently been introduced into European avant-garde art.

AL: What influences and importance do you belive the Ashcan Painters had on 20th Century art?
CR: The importance of the Ashcan Painters for American art in the early 20th Century is universally acknowledged by American art historians. Because they have not been widely seen in a European context, we are still in the process of determining their wider importance of 20th Century art as a whole. Certainly Bellows' audacious handling of paint must place him among the innovators of painting technique in those decades.

x7314 George Bellows, The Big Dory, 1913, Copyright New Britain Museum of American Art, Harriet Russel Stanley Fund, 1944.21. Photo: Alex Morganti






AL: Can you sum up in 5 words or less what people can expect from this exhibition?
CR: Frankly, no. I find that too reductive. Visitors must find their own way, open their eyes to new artists they probably haven't known and, with the help of the exhibition catalogue, wall texts etc, make of it what they make of it.


Access London would like to offer a huge thank you to Chris Riopelle for taking the time to answer our questions and help us to open our eyes to artists we may not have heard of before. I would also like to thank Karen Bosomworth for allowing me to use images of some of the beautiful pieces that you can see at this exhibition.

An American Experiment is open to the public at the National Gallery until the end of May. It has free entry to all and is completely accessible to those with disabilities (please see previous post for more details on this).

Please feel free to leave a comment, follow the blog and help to spread the word on disability access and awareness in London.

COMING SOON: Pre-Theatre dinner, Tate Britain's Watercolour exhibition and The Royal Parks

The National Gallery - An American Experiment Exhibition - Part 1

Welcome back to Access London, thank you for your continued support for disability access and awareness. Today's post is the first in a two-part series on The National Gallery and, in particular, one of its current exhibitions - 'An American Experiment: George Bellows and The Ashcan Painters'.

I recently visited this exhibition and was amazed by the rich colours and unique style of the artists. The exhibition is part of the National's attempt to showcase American art in the UK. This particular exhibition consists of 12 paintings, never before seen in the UK.

X7314 George Bellows, The Big Dory, 1913, Copyright New Britain Museum of American Art, Harriett Russell Stanley Fund 1944.21. Photo: Alex Morganti






Over half of the paintings in An American Experiment are by George Bellows, the other artists include, William Glackens, George Luks, John Sloan and Robert Henri. The paintings portray landscapes, urban scenes and portraits, all from the beginning of the 20th Century in America.

The National is free to visit and this particular exhibition is also free. The gallery is open from 10am-6pm daily with a late night on Fridays until 9pm. An American Experiment is in Room 1, just past the gift shop that is definitely worth a stop off for postcards of these paintings.

If you use a wheelchair or mobility scooter, the gallery and exhibition are definitely accessible. Although the main entrance to The National, that is on Trafalgar Square, has steps, there is another entrance just next to it called The Getty entrance. This has a gentle slope up to it and a lift inside to take you to the entrance level. Once inside, there is a cafe to the right that is completely accessible. Along the walkway to the left is an accessible toilet and the lifts up to the exhibition floors.

If you are a blue badge holder, you can pre-book a parking space just behind the gallery on Orange Street by calling, 0207 747 2854.

x7307 George Bellows, North River, 1908, Copyright Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Philadelphia, Joseph E. Temple Fund 1909.2





I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the gallery and especially An American Experiment - it certainly opened my eyes to some of the art being produced in America at the beginning of the 20th Century and to a relatively unknown group of artists here in the UK. The exhibition is open until May 30 2011.

In part 2 of this series there will be an interview with the exhibition's curator who will explain more about the paintings, artists and how the exhibition came together. Please visit again tomorrow to see what was said.

Access London has also been fortunate enough to interview 2 people from the education, access and information departments at the gallery, here's what they had to say....

AL: Who are you and what is your role at The National Gallery?
MB: My name is Miranda Baxter and I am the interim Access Officer at the National Gallery, situated within the education department. My colleague and I will share this wonderful opportunity to respond to your questions about access at the National Gallery.
My role as Access Officer is to collaborate with other departments across the gallery, like information, with whom I work very closely to ensure that the quality of visitor experience at the National Gallery continues to be delivered on all levels. In education specifically I organise a variety of BSL and BSL-interpreted talks about paintings and exhibitions at the gallery. Often I work with an adult learning team to design events that resonate cohesively and thematically with the other areas of educational and interpretive provision. I also organise description-based sessions called Art Through Words for Blind and Partially-Sighted Visitors on the last Saturday of every month. Each session focuses on one painting and participants are provided with high quality prints, including close-ups of interesting details. A specially trained educator provides a highly descriptive narrative of the painting, which is further enhanced by multi-sensory elements such as, poetry, story-telling, music and handling objects, as well as lively discussions. The session finishes with a visit to the gallery to see the painting in situ.
CM: My name is Chris Morton and I am the Senior Information Manager at The National Gallery. The Information Department's first responsibility is to provide exceptional service to all our visitors, by offering a warm, professional welcome, doing all we can to make sure they have a successful visit and a positive, enjoyable experience. Information staff are the first point of contact for many visitors, offering help, advice and information on all aspects of The National Gallery, whether navigating the building, exploring the collection or finding out about our huge range of exhibitions, events and activities.

AL: Can you briefly explain how the gallery is accessible to those with mobility problems/disabilities?
CM: The National Gallery provides access and assistance, where possible, to all visitors. The gallery consists of 2 buildings, both of which have level access. Wheelchairs, folding chairs, large-print labels, braille descriptions and large-print descriptions are available for key paintings, as well as audio guides (free for visually impaired visitors) and induction loops; water bowls are available for assistance dogs. The gallery also provides a parking space for Blue Badge Holders which can be booked in advance by contacting the Duty Manager's Office on 020 7747 2854. The gallery also offers a variety of events and lectures for deaf and visually impaired visitors, as my colleague Miranda mentioned above.

AL: Do you have a current exhibition on, available to those with disabilities?
NG: The main temporary exhibition is Jan Gossaert's Renaissance. Please see the gallery's website for further details of current free exhibitions and forthcoming exhibitions at the gallery

AL: Do you have any concessions for disabled visitors and/or their carers?
NG: Disabled visitors are entitled to a concession ticket to paid exhibitions and accompanying carers have free entry. The concession price for Jan Gossaert's Renaissance is £9 and there is a Tuesday afternoon offer from 2.30pm where all visitors entitled to a concession can purchase £5 entry.

AL: Can you sum up in 5 words The National Gallery experience?
NG: Eminent, Elegant, Inspiring, Inclusive and Educational

Access London would like to offer a huge thanks to both Miranda Baxter and Chris Morton for taking the time to answer our questions.

Please feel free to leave a comment, follow the blog and help to spread the word on disability access and awareness. Don't forget tomorrow's post with the curator of An American Experiment.

The British Museum - Afghanistan Exhibition

Today's post looks at the spectacular new exhibition being held at The British Museum - Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World.

The exhibition showcases some beautiful pieces from a beautiful country, that has unfortunately been ravaged by war over its recent history. Located on the ancient silk roads between India, China, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, Afghanistan has been influenced by many cultures over the years.



The exhibition follows a timeline of Afghanistan's history, dating back to several thousand years BC, right up to the present day.

"Nearly lost during the years of civil war and Taliban rule, these surviving treasures reveal Afghanistan's ancient culture, its immense fragility and its remarkable place in world history" (British Museum)

The treasures featured include: pottery, glassware, sculptures, coins, statues, jewellery and possessions of travellers from along the ancient silk trading routes. There are brightly coloured pieces of glassware that were influenced by ancient Egyptians in their design and a magnificent golden crown that is pictured at the start of this post.

The exhibition begins with a video that portrays the beauty of the country as well as some of the more poignant images from recent times. It does however provide a fantastic overview of the country, its history and the lengths that its people will go to, to protect their ancient treasures.

Although not large in the physical sense, the exhibition does showcase a large number of items. I visited the day after it opened and in my opinion, the time slots given for admittance should have been spaced a little further apart. There is an obvious route to follow round the exhibition, but don't expect to pop in for a quick look as it can get quite busy.

To access the exhibtion entrance if you use a wheelchair, mobility scooter or cannot manage stairs, use the lift at the back of the round Millennium building that stands in the centre of the museum's grand foyer. Once inside, the exhibition is all on the same level and there is a different lift at the end of the exhibition, past the gift shop, that can take you back down to ground level.

The cost to visit the exhibition is: Adults - £10 Children - FREE Disabled Visitors - £8 Carer - FREE.

To access the museum itself if you use a wheelchair, mobility scooter or cannot manage stairs, there are 2 lifts, 1 either side of the entrance steps that will lift you up to the entrance level. For more information on access, please call the museum's Access and Equality Manager on 020 7323 8506.

This is a fantastic exhibition and one not to be missed. It runs until 3rd July 2011.



Please feeel free to leave a comment and to follow this blog. Thank you once again for supporting disability access in London.

COMING NEXT - Spring in the Royal Parks
COMING SOON - Love Never Dies, The National Gallery

Recommended Hotel for 2011 - The Cavendish - Part 1

Hi Everyone. This week is the launch of a series of exciting posts about Access London's recommended hotel for 2011 - The Cavendish.
The Cavendish is located on Jermyn Street and Duke Street in Piccadilly. It is in a prime location for central London attractions such as, restaurants, theatres, galleries, museums and shops - yet once inside, you feel as though you are in an oasis of calm in the middle of the big city.

Some of its nearest attractions are The Royal Academy of Arts, The Criterion Theatre, St James' Park, the prestigious shops of Jermyn and Regent Streets and the world-renowned Fortnum and Masons.

I have been fortunate enough to have stayed at The Cavendish on several occasions and have always enjoyed a fabulous stay. All of the staff are so in tuned to their guest's needs - the porters on arrival, the check-in staff, the concierge team and the restaurant staff. You are made to feel special from the moment you arrive and this continues throughout your stay.


The hotel has its main pick-up/drop-off point and disabled access entrance on Duke Street. On entering, you are met with a fresh and modern reception area that, like most of the other areas in the hotel, has kept its period charm and style. The hotel's lounge is the perfect place to relax after a day's shopping and enjoy afternoon tea. The Cavendish's 'Petrichor' restaurant has been awared with an AA Rosette and is the setting for some of the best food I have tasted in a hotel for a long time. The Petrichor will be the topic of a future post here on Access London.


The Cavendish has several disabled access rooms to stay in which include: walk-in showers, wider doors, lowered sinks, emergency pull cords and many other features you would expect to find in a stylish, adapted room. If you have a disability but are able to step up into a shower and do without the other adapted features mentioned above then, I would definitely recommend a stay in one of the hotel's Executive Rooms, especially if you are there for a special occasion.

The luxurious and stylish Cavendish is the perfect hotel for your stay in London, Pre-Theatre Dinner or afternoon tea. It is extremely accessible and all of the staff are more than happy to help make arrangements for your perfect stay - this is why The Cavendish is Access London's recommended hotel for 2011.

To make a reservation at The Cavendish, please call 020 7930 2111

COMING NEXT: INTERVIEW WITH THE CAVENDISH'S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
COMING SOON: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA/HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE

Gielgud Theatre - Box Office Manager Interview

Hi Everyone,
This is just a short, but really interesting end-of-week post from Access London, before we launch a series of posts next week on our recommended hotel for 2011.
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity of a short Q&A session with the Box Office Manager from The Gielgud Theatre and below is how the transcript read. For more information on The Gielgud and its' productions, please see my previous post.

The Gielgud Theatre Q&A

Who are you and what is your role at The Gielgud Theatre?

I am Rob Smith, Box Office Manager of The Gielgud Theatre, Delfont Mackintosh Theatres

Can you explain how the theatre is accessible to those with disabilities/mobility problems?

We have a dedicated Access number for enquiries and cater for all those who need specific access to our venue. To make arrangements for your visit, call 0844 482 5137. The telephone number is for all seven theatres in the Delfont Mackintosh group and is charged at a local rate. Simply select the theatre you need to contact and you'll be transferred through to the Box Office directly at that theatre. The Box Office will advise you on the best available seats, according to your needs, and will provide as much information as necessary to make your visit as comfortable as possible.

Do you have a special offer currently on that is accessible to those with disabilities?

The theatre is currently dark until 5th March 2011 when it opens its new production, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

Do you have any concessions for disabled visitors and/or their carers?

The next production will be 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' which previews from March 5th 2011. DMT's policy is that the cheapest clear view seat for each production is also the price of the Access/Disabled concession. The price is £29.50 for the next production. One carer is also welcome to accompany you at the same price.

Please sum up in 5 words The Gielgud Theatre experience

Welcoming, Friendly and Hassle-Free!

I would just like to say a big thank you to Rob Smith for that interview and to all at The Gielgud theatre for being so helpful and friendly and for an amazing night out - I will definitely be back soon.

NEXT WEEK: Access London's recommended hotel for 2011 - The Cavendish

Please feel free to leave a comment and to follow this blog.

The Gielgud Theatre & Yes Prime Minister

Hi Everyone. This post will be on the first theatre I have reviewed so far on this blog and also a bit about the play I saw there.

The Gielgud theatre is located on Shaftesbury Avenue in London, a really central location and a road that has many theatres on it, including The Queens Theatre right next door to The Gielgud. The Gielgud theatre is one of the many London theatres that has its stalls at basement level, therefore the dress circle is the tier that is on street level.

If you are in a wheelchair or use a mobility scooter (or have any trouble using stairs) then the dress circle is where you will need to book tickets for. Contact the theatre booking line on 0844 482 5137 for more information on tickets and seating. For those with mobility problems, there is an entrance on Rupert Street, to the left of the theatre, that has a ramped access, instead of stairs (again, please notify the theatre beforehand so that a member of staff can open this entrance for you).

The theatre foyer is relatively small but has a bar and cloakroom and disabled toilets nearby. There is also another bar upstairs. The theatre looks to have been fairly recently decorated as it is clean and fresh and dripping with period features. All of the staff were extremely helpful - from the booking office staff to the ushers - one of which was the most helpful usher I have ever met. He was waiting for us to arrive, opened the side entrance door for us, took us to our seats, checked on us during the interval and came back to collect us at the end - an absolute star!

Inside the theatre, the decor is luxurious with a grand chandelier commanding full attention from above. The chairs are very comfy and appeared somewhat larger than other theatres I have visited. There is pretty generous leg room in most aisles too.

The performance I saw was Yes Prime Minister, staring David Haig and Henry Goodman. It was a brilliantly written piece, very funny and was performed with great timing by all the cast. Unfortunately this show has now come to the end of its run as we saw it on its final night. However, if you get the chance to see it on tour, I would definitely recommend it for an excellent night out for all. The writers (from the original TV show) have brought it right up to date - with a coalition Government, global warming, expenses scalndals and a financial crisis.

The video shows some of the theatre and the set from Yes Prime Minister.

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I would definitely recommend a night out to The Gielgud - its next production, opening in March, is Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

Up next: Our recommended hotel for 2011 - The Cavendish

Please feel free to leave a comment or follow Access London to keep up to date with what's going on in the capital.

The Royal Academy and Access

Firstly, I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who has been supporting this blog and Access London.

Today's post is on the Royal Academy of Arts and one of its current exhibitions - The Glasgow Boys.

The Academy is located in Burlington House, Piccadilly. It is open 10am-6pm everyday with late night opening on Fridays (until 10pm). The pavement outside on Piccadilly is particularly wide and accessible for wheelchairs and scooters. When entering the courtyard at Burlington House, there is a choice: either the smaller archway to the right that takes you onto the pavement that circles the courtyard (there is a lowered access onto the courtyard halfway round). Or, through the large main arch and across the cobbled courtyard, just watch out for the fountains that come up from the ground. Watch the video below to see more!

There is both ramped and staired access to the gallery. If using a wheelchair or scooter, head to the left and use the large door, rather than the revolving one. Inside the foyer, there is level access to the cloakroom, ticket desk, toilets and cafe. For the lift, head behind the main staircase where an operator works the glass lift to all floors. I recommend booking tickets in advance for paid exhibitions.

The Academy offers the following for those with disabilities: touch facilities, access guides, tour guides, large print lists, thermoforms, ability to bring in guide dogs and BSL and lipspeaking tours. The gallery also has 5 wheelchairs which are available to hire and 2 parking spaces (for badge holders) which can be booked in advance. For enquiries use: 020 7300 8028 or access@royalacademy.org.uk

The exhibition, Pioneering Painters: The Glasgow Boys 1880-1900 is on until the 23rd January 2011. The gallery describes the exhibition as: "the first major exhibition in London for over 40 years to celebrate the achievement of the Glasgow Boys, the loosely knit group of young painters who created a stir at both home and abroad in the final decades of the nineteenth century".

The exhibition is spread through 6 rooms and showcases pictures from almost a dozen artists. Although each quite distinct in their own style, they painted with a mixture of impressionist influences and realist touches in their landscapes and portraits. The paintings show landscapes and cultures as diverse as Scotland, mainland Europe, Northern Africa and Japan. The majority use bright colours and a combination of brush strokes. The exhibition showcases work from the Glasgow Boys as a group and also some of their later works when they split up to persue their own interests and specialisms. I would thoroughly recommend this exhibition which runs for another month. Afterwards, don't forget to check out what else the Academy has to offer.

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For more information on the Royal Academy and to book tickets to see the Glasgow Boys and other exhibitions, go to:

COMING SOON: Her Majesty's Theatre and Phantom of the Opera

The British Museum and Access - part 2

If you have been following this blog, you will already know that I am a fan of The British Museum's Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead exhibition that is currently showing. If you missed my review of the exhibition you can find it below this latest post, just scroll down. If you did read it, then here are the Q & A session with The British Museum's Access and Equality Manager and my sneak peek video from the exhibition that I promised.

Access London's Q & A

Who are you and what is your role at The British Museum?

My name is Jane Samuels and I am the Access and Equality Manager at The British Museum.

Can you briefly explain how the museum is accessible to those with mobility problems and other disabilities?

We offer many services for our disabled visitors, including: BSL talks, audio descriptions, handling sessions, Egyptian touch tour, handling desks, inclusive exhibition design, tactile/Braille books, large print information and free wheelchair loan to our visitors. All of these services are free to our disabled visitors. For more information on the services we provide, please see the museum's Access page (link can be found at the bottom of this post).

Do you have a special offer/exhibition on that is accessible to disabled visitors?

Yes, our Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead exhibition is accessible to disabled visitors.

Do you have any concessions for disabled visitors and/or their carers?

Yes, there are concessions for all paid exhibitions and 1 carer per disabled visitor can enter for free. (Please note that many of the museum's permanent collections can be entered for free for everyone)

Can you sum up in 5-10 words the 'British Museum Experience'?

'A museum of the world, for the world'


Access London would like to say a special thank you to Jane Samuels for taking the time to answer our questions and also, thank you to all the staff at The British Museum for being so helpful and friendly.

Below is a short, sneak peek video of what you can expect at the exhibition, which runs until 6th March 2011.


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COMING SOON: Reviews of The Royal Academy and The Cavendish Hotel.

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You can find more information about The British Museum's access at: http://www.britishmuseum.org/visiting/access.aspx

The British Museum and Access - part 1

I am going to begin Access London's journey with information and a review of a current exhibition on at The British Museum: Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead (Journey Through the Afterlife).

The museum itself is located on Great Russell Street in London and is open daily from 10am to 5.30pm. The museum is fully accessible to wheelchair users. It can be accessed by its main entrance on Great Russell Street where there are 2 self operable lifts on either side of the stepped entrance (with the option to call for assistance) or else there is a level access entrance located on Montague Place. Once inside, the majority of the exhibitions and galleries are fully wheelchair accessible - there is also the option to borrow one of the wheelchairs that is owned by the museum. Assistance dogs are welcome inside the museum and there are fully accessible disabled toliets and the gallery's cafes can also be accessed easily. There is a limited amount of disbaled parking spaces (blue badge holders) availbled on the museum forecourt - these need to be booked in advance by phoning +44 (0)20 7323 8299.

For further details of the museum's facilties for disabled visitors, see the link at the bottom of this post.

I visited the museum and Book of the Dead exhibition two weeks ago and had a fabulous time. The museum describes the exhibition as: "Follow the ancient Egyptian's journey from death to the afterlife in this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition focussing on the Book of the Dead." It really does feel like a journey. The exhbition is housed in the old reading room in the centre of the museum and can be accessed using wheelchair lifts, operated by really helpful and friendly staff.

Once inside you follow the journey the ancient Egyptian's believed they would take to the afterlife - their preparations, death, their journey and their ultimate goal. Along the way there are numerous examples of the Book of the Dead, coffins, masks, offerings and plenty of oppulence and gold that you would expect to find surrounding the wealthier of the ancient Egyptians.

In order to preserve some of the artifacts, some rooms are quite dark when reading the explaining text on the walls, but all of the artifacts themselves can be clearly seen. I would definitely recommend this exhibition (which runs until March 2011) and a general visit to the museum itself which houses large permanent collections (including Eqygptian).

Although entrance to the museum itself (and its permanent collections) is free, there is a charge for its limited exhibitions. I would recommend booking ahead via the museum's online booking system that offers concessions to disbaled visitors and also offers a free carer's admission. When booking, you choose your desired time slot - this is a really popular exhibition and I would recommend going as early in the day as possible as it can get quite busy. As long as you take your time, it should be no problem navigating round in a wheelchair (or if like me, in a mobility scooter).

If you love history and want to see something different, this is definitely an exhibition for you!

The museums access page can be found at http://www.britishmuseum.org/visiting/access.aspx

Later this week Access London will feature a Q&A session with the museum's Disability and Equality Manager and also some video footage. Make sure you subscribe and follow to keep up to date with what's going on.