Hi,My wife and I recently were invited to go and see the Australian Pink Floyd at the new First Direct Arena in Leeds and as I’m a Floyd fan I jumped at the chance but then I started thinking about all the negatives,disabled parking,toilets,wheelchair access and all the stuff you worry about when going somewhere new but I needn’t have worried.Disabled parking was outside the Arena entrance and when we got there a security guard was there to show us where to park and offer assistance.
On entrance we shown to the lifts and to the wheelchair viewing places but our friends hadn’t booked one of these but a seat half way down the seating area which I managed to get to but my wheelchair was left at the top of the stairs so an assistant came to us and offered to put the chair somewhere safe and said after the performance he would bring my wheelchair to the bottom of the steps and show us the best exit point.The staff at the arena couldn’t have been more helpful which was a relief and to top off a good evening the Australian Floyd were brilliant.The Venue staff were great and took the worry out of going somewhere new,we’ll go again.xDave.
Excellent Dave, glad you had a great time and that your worries were all addressed.
I know exactly what you mean, and of course all modern venues are obliged by law to cater for disabled (but oh the variance in that term- people have touched on it here, and peoples needs vary greatly), but until you have been somewhere, you can’t always know. I went to the theatre couple of months ago, and was dreading the practicalities, but all good and the play was excellent.
I am going to Wembley to see the FOO FIGHTERS in june i have booked parking and disabled seating so i am a little nervous to see what the other faculties are like it will be the first time i have been to anywhere with my wheel chair as i can manage a few stairs with me walking stick but not the amount they have . Will report back on experience .
a couple of years ago i saw that roger waters was playing at manchester arena on my husbands birthday.
so i bought tickets and noticed that the executive boxes may be a good idea.
two tickets for the executive boxes were a little more expensive but well worth it.
the parking spaces were even closer than the disabled spots and we got a ticket once inside to get free parking (worth a bit!).
we had our own bar without staff but with a phone instead.
we just had to lift up the phone which was immediately answered by someone asking what we would like to drink. minutes later the drinks arrived. normally we’d have been stood in a queue (as if i could stand) for absolutely ages.
i thoroughly recommend executive boxes to anyone with a disability.
l have been treated really well at the NEC B/ham - Horse of the Year Show etc. But when l went to a local small theatre -l was dropped off near the door. So l used my rollator to get in and went up in the lift. When we started to look for our seats - a ‘jobsworth’ and l think volunteer - rushed up to me and said ‘‘you can’t come in here with that’’ - so l had to fold it up and leave it. The only way l could get to my seat was to use the wall for support - then l had to get down some steps. lt was a bit hairy - and l was relieved to get to my seat. At the end - someone did bring my rollator to me - l think they had a change of heart. Having me plunge down the steps was probably worse then letting me have my rollator. We had gone to see Pam Ayres - l bet she could have written an amusing poem about it.
Another time we went to a cinema in Evesham - my daughter dropped me off at the main entrance - the plan was to meet up with her friends - and my daughter was going to ask the staff to let me in the side-entrance which is on one level. Whilst waiting for her - a couple came up behind me and asked if l needed help. l tried to explain that l was waiting for my daughter to get the side-door opened - but this lovely couple just picked me up - rollator and all and carried me up the three steps.
lnside was my daughters friends. One of them said ‘Look - they have just picked up that lady and carried her up the steps’ then another said ‘thats no lady - thats Hannahs mum’!!! We saw Mrs Browns Boys the movie. This cinema you sit in armchairs and have a table - and you text the bar and they bring drinks/biscuits and cheese etc to your table.
Saw Pentatonix at the Apollo (Hammersmith) last Thursday - still recovering - my own fault, should have opted for a seat instead of dancing with the rest of the Pentaholics at the front Spent the better part of the Bank Holiday asleep - but they were so worth it!
I am 44 with two young children and a husband. I find that at most venues the disabled person can only take one carer, so what am I supposed to do with my children? The stadiums won’t allow me to book seats in the row behind for them!
we have booked One Direction in the Cardiff Millenium Stadium for my daughters birthday, but they cannot accommodate us as a family. We have had to book 2 sets of 2 seats at opposite ends of the stadium, and hope they let my husband push me to my seat with one child and then to to his seats. If they don’t let him in my area I don’t know what I will do!!!
Why do places think that disabled people can’t be part of a family?
Never had a problem anywhere; except with some coke snorting idiots using the disabled toilets at the old Wembley Arena.
The Albert Hall is brilliant; the wheelchair podium is right by the stage and to see say Clapton play is unbelievable.
To any Tennis lovers if they write to
The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club,
PO Box 98,
Wimbledon,
London SW19 5AE
Before Christmas you will probably get a ticket for the next year you do not go in the ballot for ordinary tickets. Remember the carer gets a free ticket.
Agree with Carole; if not get your MP to sort it; you cannot be the only one looking after a chiild. What if you want to go to the toilet?
