elle – Page 4 – Culture Access

Greenwich for an accessible day trip

woman wheelchair user looking at river next to heritage building looking at new buidings across the water — Greenwich along the river

We have many friends who come visit us in Greenwich. Some of these friends are disabled and, quite a few of them, are wheelchair users.

We thought it would be useful to write up some information for visitors – especially those who are here for a day trip to Greenwich.

Arrival

By DLR /Cutty Sark Station Cutty Sark DLR station has step-free access. It is a light metro station on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Bank-Lewisham Line in Greenwich Town Centre.
By train there is a train service (from London Bridge station). From the station bus 177 will take you into the town centre. However, it is within walking distance but the pavements are not too even with some cobblestones and sometimes blocked by dustbins. The station itself is accessible.
By the underground/North Greenwich station is on the accessible Jubilee Line. From the station, there are many buses, you can take the bus 129 or bus 188 (you can take this bus from Waterloo or Russell Square all the way from London) towards Greenwich centre.
By boat Thames Clippers is another way of getting to Greenwich from the city of London. They are accessible by ramps. (but they are not always easily negotiable. You might require some help.)

Sites to visit

Greenwich landscape from the Observatory with tall buildings in the back with historical buildings in the foreground — Greenwich landscape from the Observatory with tall buildings in the background and historical buildings in the foreground

These are the sites we would recommend as places not to be missed in a visit to Greenwich:

The National Maritime Museum / Greenwich Park

The National Maritime Museum is a free museum good for the whole family and it has Greenwich Park

Information on the museum
way to park out from the museum
easy accessible paths
London view from outside the Observatory

The Observatory

The Observatory is worth a walk up even if you dont go in (price £14 – £16}. It has a great view. There are two routes up, a steep path or a more gradual but longer route).

Cutty Sark

Here are some videos we took of the accessibility of the Cutty Sark a few years go.

The open space near the Cutty Sark is usually bustling with stalls, buskers etc and often music to entertain the tourists and residents.

Entrance Prices

The 02 area/ Greenwich Peninsula

The 02 is adjacent to the North Greenwich Tube station. There are also buses (188) connecting to Russell Square and (108) to Stratford International as well as to neighbourhood areas like Woolwich and Lewisham. There is also parking free for those with Blus Badges.

See the Tides Festival if you re coming for that event.

Alongside it the Emirates airline/ cable car .

Accessible toilets

There is an accessible toilet (needs a radar key) by the exit of the N Greenwich station. And at the 02 with the restaurants too, many of them have accessible toilets. And a Changing Places toilet.

At the city centre, near the Cutty Sark, there is a portable loo.

All along there are restaurants and pubs, some of which have accessible toilets although it must be said that they are not so easy to locate.

There is another Changing Places toilets at IKEA.

Accessible restarants in Greenwich

At the Tides Festival, Greenwich Peninsula

For part of two last weekends ( 5-7th and 12-14th July) , I happened to be at Greenwich Peninsula when the the official opening was celebrated – of The Tide, “the elevated riverside park on Greenwich Peninsula, reported as created by the co-designers of the High Line in NYC.

The lift from the front next to the 02 is not working as yet so the ramp has to be used for access to the walkway.

view from the ramp
view from the ramp
view from the ramp
view of walkway
view of walkway
view from the ramp

While it was well attended, the festival was not over crowded. The festival goers enjoyed the music.

Access

Normally for that area, it is all level access. However, some of the higher cable casings which were used to keep the electricity cables protected were barriers for wheelchair users and those with mobility issues. It is curious that while many of the raised strips were low and accessible, some were not, especially those near the street food stalls.

I will revisit and write more on this area – more events have been announced for the present future.

accessible
not accessible
lift not working yet

Canary Wharf accessibility

its a walkway flanked by tall buildings on both sides with people sitting out at tables. 'Sticks and Sushi' is one of the signs — Step free access most of the way with accessible loos

Canary Wharf is not an obvious place to go to for a Sunday brunch. After all it’s the business heartland of East London. However, if it is accessible restaurants with good transport links that you are aiming for – where you do not have to worry about getting in or asking about accessible loos, then it is a good place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Firstly Canary Wharf is on the Jubilee Line, an accessible tube station. You can also go there by boat/ferry Thames Clippers. It might be a change using water transport instead of bus or the tube. The only annoying thing about using this service is that the staff always ask if I have a mobility scooter recognition card, they cannot seem to be able to differentiate between a scooter and a wheelchair. But you get 50% off the fare with a Freedom Pass as does your companion. (remember to ask for it, they won’t tell you.) My bugbear with Canary Wharf is that the signage is not brilliant. I always get lost.

Thanes Clipper at the end of the pier with London Eye in the foreground and Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in the backgroud. — you can take the boat from the Southbank for a ride up the river.

There are many types of restaurants with cuisines from all over the world, American (Big Easy) to Chinese Dim Sum (Royal China), Indian (Chai Ki), Japanese (Roka), Italian (Carluccios), Carribean ( Boisdale) breakfast (Breakfast Club). These are just a few that have been personally tried. I have not found any independent restaurants yet, these are all chains.

After brunch or lunch, you can always visit the Crossway Place Roof Garden or visit the Museum of London Docklands. (warning that there is cobbled streets outside the museum) If you have a need for retail therapy, there are many many shops that you can find on the high street and some more exclusive shops. There is also the urban landscape that is quite spectacular in its own right, worth having a stroll.

The Nomadic Garden Party

huge mural which has text and central is a red double decker with tentacles out of its windows — impressive Meeting of Styles Mural at the garden

On the May day bank holiday, I went to something I saw curiously advertised as the Nomadic Garden 2nd Birthday Party.

I asked if it was accessible as I am interested in communal gardens, they said it was but it would’t be smooth as the flooring was woodchips

” The ground is covered in wood chips so not easy for a self-propelled but an Indoor/Outdoor wheelchair would be fine. No stepped access or hazards from main gate “

It took us (I went with my intrepid support worker, James) some time to find the space. I was slightly side tracked by the stalls on Brick lane.

We found it in the end and we met James/Jimmy who gave us a potted history of the place – as is narrated in the video.

East Asian woman with hat sitting next to a white man. — with James/ Jimmy who started the project

James told me of the Raggae BBQ party and campfire they have every weekend. The floor might be woodchip strewn but they did think of rudimentary access ramps for wheelchair users.

Many of the plants were in raised beds so they can easily be accessed by some wheelchair users, the people were genearally friendly. It is an accessible place to bring some friends and hang out! Especially when the weather is good!

James said they would definitely like to open it up to more disabled people. Party anyone?

Next event party Meeting of Styles – 27th/28th May

Address Nomadic Gardens E2 6EE Shoreditch

“Voices of the Movement” Sunday 7th May, 5pm & 7.30pm at Park Theatre

Voices of The Movement Promo Video

Over Land & Sea, I follow my Destiny…

What if you had to leave your home, and the life you once knew?
And what if the physical journey was the least of your concern?

Could you take this personal journey, not only leaving your home & family but leaving yourself to become someone new?

Ten true life stories come together in this vibrant piece of the theatre which challenges the stigma associated with displacement.

The company is comprised of artists, refugees, asylum seekers and migrants who have devised this piece of theatre in just 15 weeks.

see more and book here

Performances
5pm & 7.30pm

Prices*
£8 full price, £5 concessions

A shout out for Miss Jacqui! who will be performing!

Accessible music creativity and plus

Last weekend I went to the #MozzFest to visit Sophie Partridge and John Kelly at their workshops facilitating and using DMLab from Drake music

Accessible musical instruments remove barriers to music making for disabled musicians, allowing creative expression and choice in music making.

There is a real need for a broader variety of accessible instruments, at Drake Music we bridge the gap between musicians and makers, technologists, coders and developers to pioneer new accessible music technology.

Non-disabled people can make music in many ways and at many different levels. Drake Music’s vision is a world where disabled people have the same range of opportunities and a culture of integrated music-making, where disabled and non-disabled musicians work together as equals.

woman in wheelchair with young child looking on beside her, they re looking at a mobile device — Sophie Partridge with young learner

At another session, I was fascinated by a program, Stage Genie, which uses some kind of tracking movement to create music. It was demonstrated by Dan Mailman.

group of people looking at a man looking at a computer screen — Dmailman demonstrating how the sound was activated by the red colour in the glove

With all the videos which were shown, I was also happy to go to a session on fast editing of transcripts with fast text based auto editing. I was wondering how accessible would videos be for people with hearing impairments.

There was much more to learn and try out at the fest and good to see the diversity and accessibility tackled using media and technology. However, no subtitles or transcript in the video below.

Creating a herb raised bed

A raised bed was built and filled with compost for the first experiment on creating a herb bed.

from September 2015

a woman pointing to a man - they are both smiling. Another man is behind them with a wheelbarrow. — with Michael and Pat, Meantime Nursery staff, setting the idea of raised bed

rough wooden table with a couple of small plants and a blue wheelbarrow — bed about to be the height of this table

A raised bed was made with wooden joined up boxes on three sides. They were underlined with black heavy duty plastic sheets and filled with compost .

November 2015

raised wooden bed on three sides with plastic cover — raised bed

March 2016

trowel in compost under plant roots — planting herbs

trailing rosemary with reddish sage — trailing rosemary with sage

apple mint and lemon balm with green tags — apple mint and lemon balm

Access to conservation:Greenwich Meantime Plant Nursery

First posted at Connect Culture

The Meantime Plant Nursery is an innovative volunteer powered project, aiming to put vacant development land to good use growing plants. The Conservation Volunteers are now offering a new volunteering opportunity at the Meantime Plant Nursery:

-learn and develop horticultural skills such as plant propagation and maintenance.
-enhance your DIY and carpentry skills, building new raised beds, irrigating polytunnels and constructing staging.
-discover dendrology with the ‘Remarkable Tree Project’, our new initiative to find and multiply London’s most unusual and unique trees.

Volunteer days are held every Tuesday from 10-3, tea, coffee, biscuits, and all tools, training and equipment will be provided.

I went along to volunteer one Tuesday and found a cheery welcome. We are sorting out how to be most useful to the project. Plans include a suitably high worktable and possibly raised bed.

The venue has level access and cleared paths with good surfaces for wheelchair users.The site is at the Greenwich Peninsula West Parkside, easily accessed by buses to the Meridian village near the 02 on Jubilee Line (accessible station North Greenwich). It is a good place to relax in a green environment set up in an urban space.

There is a ramp into the office. Unfortunately there is not an usable accessible toilet on the site yet. (But there is an Odeon Imax cinema within a few minutes walk and several restaurants and a B&Q)

We are developing a project on accessible conservation and planting project together – watch this space!

More photos at the flickr page.

Also have a look at this blog on the website which is slightly different from here.

Next blog would give an idea of how the pilot project has developed

adding going out

Today I was at the Parallel London event with Iyiola Olafimihan. We were both supporting ALLFIE in one of the race and he was interested in Culture Access. He would like to add information on access to clubs..which is very good news! Welcome on board, Iyiola! it made me think of a whole new category of interest!

black man on wheelchair with sign of Parallel London behind him

Hello, Culture Access!

Culture Access was created in our enthusiasm for an access to activities which we roughly categorise under culture – with a small ‘c’ – that which is not sports, campaigning or cuts. We are focusing on disabled access but not exclusively so. We would include financial access -so we would not be featuring the top of the art equipment which many of us cannot afford anyway. We would focus on access to culture not just as consumers but also as practitioners.

So we are excited to tell you that we are considering cuisine/cooking, conservation/gardening, photography, video making, travelling, cultural visits etc

Watch this space, we will keep you posted.

people standing at a museum setting with a wide wooden floor — at Whitney Museum