Tag Archives: attractions

Attractions, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Accessible Attractions: West Yorkshire Playhouse

Quingo Scooters encourages users to explore the world around them on their mobility scooters, so they can make the most of the world around them. In our series of articles, we’ve been revealing some of the UK’s top accessible attractions which are open to mobility scooter users and guarantee a great day out.

Today, we’re heading up to God’s own country Yorkshire to take in some culture. We’re sharing with you the West Yorkshire Playhouse, based in Leeds, which is one of the UK’s most accessible venues.

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West Yorkshire Playhouse

The West Yorkshire Playhouse is a world-class theatre. It is best known for displaying compelling stage productions, as well as serving as a creative hub for regional actors, directors and other theatre industry personnel. The West Yorkshire Playhouse has two separate theatres for you to visit…

  • Quarry Theatre: This amphitheatre-style space seats 750 people and attracts top regional productions for your viewing pleasure. It is soon to be hosting Babe the Sheep Pig, a play inspired by the Oscar winning film of the same name, from 15th to 18th February 2017.
  • Courtyard Theatre: Set in a rectangular shape, this space features lower and upper galleries, with accessible entrances at the back. It is currently showing a production of the classic Bernard Shaw work Pygmalion, which explores class identity, from 7th to 25th February 2017.

The West Yorkshire Playhouse also boasts a range of other attractions for you to explore. This includes a bar, a restaurant and the Priestley Room, a quiet space to go in intervals located in easy reach of the bar and restaurant. The venue also holds various events for you to check out, like the Transform Festival in April, where independent productions are performed across Leeds, celebrating local talent.

Visit the ‘What’s On’ section of West Yorkshire Playhouse’s website, to find out the ticket prices and showing times, for your production. Remember, however, that a £1.75 surcharge will apply to the price, but there are discounts for people aged under 16 or over 60, as well as NUS card and Leeds City Card holders. You can book tickets via the Playhouse’s Box Office, which is open between 9am and 5pm. The Box Office can be contacted via phone, at 0113 213 7700 or by email at [email protected].

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Accessibility

The West Yorkshire Playhouse is fully accessible. You’ll find it around 20 minutes away from the centrally located Leeds Train Station. The venue is based opposite the Quarry Hill Bus Station and is also easily accessible by car. It has a car park which, as a Blue Badge holder, you can use for free, and the spaces are right outside the main entrance. Visit the website’s ‘Finding Us’ section to learn more.

Discover just how accessible the West Yorkshire Playhouse is by downloading the ‘Open to Everyone’ document, available on the ‘Access’ section of its website. The West Yorkshire Playhouse has level access up from the car park, while its Box Office includes a lowered counter, making it easy for you to book tickets. The accommodating Box Office staff will be only too happy to fulfil your request for aisle or entrance level seats whenever possible, when you book your tickets at the Playhouse.

Both the Playhouse’s theatres feature spaces for mobility scooter users and the venue’s front of house team are happy to help you reach your seat. The West Yorkshire Playhouse also features wide lifts enabling access to all floors, as well as automatic doors and spacious areas e.g. the restaurants, with broad accessible routes. There are also accessible toilets around the building, as well as moveable tables and chairs in the bar and restaurant areas, promoting comfort. At the West Yorkshire Playhouse, you can even pre-order your interval drinks to avoid the busy queues that often build up at these times.

Share your accessible attraction with Quingo!

If you’ve been to visit any great accessible places on your Quingo or would like us to write about a particular place you have visited, we’d be delighted to hear from you! You can email your stories, recommendations and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Attractions, Days Out, Public Transport, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Accessible Days Out: Edinburgh Bus Tours

Quingo Scooters encourages users to get out and about, discovering some different days out in the best cultural hotspots. In our series of articles, we shed light on various accessible days out for you to enjoy on your mobility scooter.

Today we head to the North of the UK, to the Scottish capital. A beautiful city, Edinburgh is known for its historical attractions and architectural gems, making it one of the UK’s top tourist destinations. See everything it has to offer by having a day out on one of the Edinburgh Bus Tours.

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Edinburgh Bus Tours

Since they were established in the 1920s, the Edinburgh Bus Tours have become Scotland’s third most popular paid-for attraction. They’re operated by Lothian Buses and depending on the tour you take, you can see some of Edinburgh’s best sites. This includes Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Grassmarket, Calton Hill and the Palace of Holyrood House, which is the official residence of the Scottish monarch.

There are three main tours – the Edinburgh Bus Tour, City Sightseeing Tour and Majestic Tour. They all visit some of the same attractions e.g. the Palace of Holyrood, but there are some variations e.g. the City Sightseeing Tour doesn’t stop at the Scottish Parliament, but the other two do. The Edinburgh Bus Tour offers a live guide in English, but the others provide multi-language commentary. Meanwhile, the City Sightseeing Tour is really good for kids, as it gives Horrible Histories commentaries!

The tours last roughly one hour and operate all year round, although the City Sightseeing is closed on Christmas Day. The trips depart every 15, 20 or 30 minutes, depending on the tour and time of year. Visit the tours’ pages on the Edinburgh Bus Tours website to learn their departure times, depending on the day and time of year. An adult ticket for each tour costs £15, but senior tickets (aged 60+) are £14, with students paying the same, while children’s tickets (aged five to 15) come in at £7.50.

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Accessibility

The main Edinburgh Bus Tours are all suitable for mobility scooter users. The trips all depart from the interchange at Waverly Bridge, which is based right next to Edinburgh Waverly train station, making this location easy to find. You can also join the tours at any stop on their respective routes. You should consult the ‘finding us’ page on the Edinburgh Bus Tours website to help plan your trip.

Lothian Buses has gone above and beyond to accommodate mobility scooter users on its Edinburgh Bus Tours. Following a £6.5m investment, Lothian Buses fitted various mobility-friendly features on the buses used in its Edinburgh Bus Tour, City Sightseeing Tour and Majestic Tour routes. These vehicles offer two accessible spaces, which have securement systems installed. This means that your mobility scooter will be electronically held in place, helping you stay stable as the bus moves.

The accessible spaces fitted on the vehicles used in the Edinburgh, City Sightseeing and Majestic Tours are suitable for Class Two Mobility Scooter users. Various models sold by Quingo, such as the very affordable Quingo Classic, are Class Two, meaning that you’ll have no problem going on one of the Edinburgh Bus Tours with one of these models. The buses also have two ramps, which the drivers will be happy to roll out for you. There are also display screens showing footage from the front of the bus, alongside subtitled commentary, fitted above the wheelchair spaces.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Accessible Routes, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Accessible Routes: Itchen Valley Park

Here at Quingo Scooters, we’re always encouraging you to get out and about and to explore the world around you with your mobility scooter. In our series of articles, we’re bringing various accessible routes to your attention, which you can take on your mobility scooter to discover the UK’s amazing natural beauty.

Today we’re heading down to Itchen Valley Park. Based in Southampton, Hampshire, this is an accessible popular nature park which is suitable for mobility scooter users.

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Itchen Valley Park

Itchen Valley Park features 440 acres of stunning woodland and meadows for you to explore. It has been recognised with a prestigious Green Flag award for the past four years in a row, showing how popular it is with visitors. Itchen Valley Park has a Visitor Centre on site, where you can access interactive nature-based displays and shops, as well as a café where you can indulge in tea and cake afterwards.

The Park is famous for its trails. We suggest you buy a guide to accompany you, which is available from the Visitor Centre for just 50p. Its two mile Meadows Nature Trail is really popular, allowing guests to view the historic SSSI Water Meadow. It also has a one mile long Woodland Nature Trail, which is a must-see for nature enthusiasts. This forest path boasts various wildflowers and is well known for its bluebells, which appear in spring.

Itchen Valley Park is free to visit, opening at 8.30am daily, but closing at 7pm from November to March and at 9.30pm from April to October.

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Accessibility

Itchen Valley Park is largely a suitable destination for scooter users. You can reach the venue by car and it has ample parking spaces, although there is a minimal charge for parking. This ranges from £1 for up to an hour, to £3.90 for more than four hours, but it’s free for holders of Hampshire Cultural Trust Culture Cards. Check out the Visiting Itchen Valley Park webpage to plan how to get there.

After you arrive at Itchen Valley Park, you’ll find that its Visitor Centre lies near the main road. Outside, there is a moderate ramp leading up to the Centre’s main entrance. The ramp has handrails on both sides and is 1100mm wide, making it suitable for mobility scooter users. The main entrance into the Visitor Centre is 930mm wide and you’re allowed to use mobility scooters across this building.

The Visitor Centre was built in an old barn, meaning that its key services all lie on one level. The Centre also has an accessible toilet, and there’s an easily accessible picnic and play area just outside. We should note that not all the trails are accessible, but do seek guidance from the Park’s staff on this matter as they’ll be happy to assist you. The Woodland Nature Trail is Itchen Valley Park’s most famous accessible route, having ramps and handrails for ease of access.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Accessible Days Out: RHS Garden Rosemoor

Here at Quingo Scooters, we encourage you to get out on your mobility scooter and explore various accessible venues across the UK. You can enjoy everything nature has to offer by heading to various garden centres. In our series of articles, we’re highlighting days out you can enjoy as a mobility scooter user and today, we’re looking at Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Garden Rosemoor.

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RHS Garden Rosemoor

Based in Great Torrington, Devon, RHS Garden Rosemoor features a stunning show garden and other natural attractions.

The main formal garden is a nature-lover’s paradise. It houses ornamental spaces featuring shrubs, roses, perennials and bulbs, along with highly cultivated long-term projects. It has various themed areas for you to check out, including a stream and rock gully, a woodland green and a fruit and vegetable garden, where you can learn how to grow your own produce. It also has a quaint cottage garden, lined with brick pathways and flowering shrub/perennial filled beds.

Here you can also visit the stone garden, where plants like camellias, acers and peonies are cultivated in a sheltered, courtyard-style space. RHS Rosemoor Garden regularly hosts seasonal shows for you to attend. It’s putting on a Winter Sculpture exhibition which lasts to 19th February 2017. Open daily from 10am to 5pm, it showcases pieces from a diverse range of sculptors. It’ll also host gardening workshops and courses across 2017, teaching you how to cultivate your own outdoor spaces.

It’s open every day except Christmas Day, from 10am – 6pm between April and September and 10am – 5pm between October and March. You can buy an adult ticket for £12.10. If you are bringing children aged five to 16, they can enter for £6.05 per ticket. You get unlimited free admission if you’re an RHS member, which you can become for as little as £44.25 per year.

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Accessing the gardens 

You can reach RHS Garden Rosemoor easily by using the information listed on the ‘how to get here’ section of its website to plan your trip. There is parking near the venue’s main entrance, which features 26 easy access parking bays. You can find out more about its access facilities on the RHS Garden Rosemoor’s official online portal.

RHS Garden Rosemoor features a level ramp leading up to its main entrance and the venue’s ground floor is easily accessible for mobility scooter users. We should note that there is an accessible toilet near the site’s main entrance and there is another behind its Wisteria Tea Rooms, located in Lady Anne’s Garden, which was named after the garden’s original creator. RHS Garden Rosemoor has good signage for accessible routes throughout the site.

The site’s formal garden is mostly accessible for mobility scooter users. Most of its offshoot areas, such as the fruit and vegetable garden, are accessible, but Lady Anne’s Garden, as well as lake and woodland walks supply limited access, due to their steps and slopes. We would recommend that you plan your route through the site’s outdoor spaces before you visit, to get the most out of your visit. Meanwhile, RHS Garden Rosemoor’s Visitor Centre, shop, plant centre, restaurant, lecture hall, library and Peter Buckley Learning Centre are all fully accessible.

Share your accessible days out with Quingo!

If you’ve been to visit any great accessible places on your Quingo or would like us to write about a particular place you have visited, we’d be delighted to hear from you! You can email your stories, recommendations and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.

 About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Attractions, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Accessible Attractions: Scottish Seabird Centre

Quingo Scooters encourages our users to get out and about on their mobility scooters, so they can visit interesting, or even unusual places, particularly those that you didn’t think were accessible enough. In our series of articles, we’ve been shedding light on some very accessible attractions across the country that you can discover on your mobility scooter.

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Editorial credit: Edinburghcitymom / Shutterstock.com

Scottish Seabird Centre

Today, we’re going up into the UK’s most northerly country, to find out more about the Scottish Seabird Centre. Based at the North Berwick Harbour, in the county of East Lothian, it’s a marine wildlife conservation and discovery centre.

It costs £8.95 for an adult ticket to the Scottish Seabird Centre. However as a mobility scooter user, if you bring ID you’ll qualify for a £6.65 concession ticket, while children’s tickets total £4.65, but those under the age of three can enter free of charge. At the attraction, you can check out a range of marine wildlife, including seals and dolphins, as well as seabirds like puffins, fulmars and gulls. It features the world’s largest Northern gannets colony and biggest colony of puffins on Britain’s East Coast. At the moment the centre is open 10am-4pm on weekdays and 10am-5pm on weekends, opening times vary depending on which month you visit.

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What is there to do?

This venue’s main attraction is its Discovery Centre. Here you can control remote cameras, to see wildlife living in its natural habitat, across the Firth of Forth Islands. The centre also houses a wildlife theatre, where you can view short films across the day, a fish tank which features sea urchins, flatfish and Eel pouts and a scope deck, which provides stunning views of the Firth of Forth. Visit the wildlife calendar to find out which animals you can check out at different times of the year.

You can also try other activities at the Scottish Seabird Centre. It runs a Forth Ferry, which takes you on the 45 minute journey between North Berwick and Anstruther to enjoy great days on either side of the Firth of Forth. Until March 2017, you can visit its Tomorrow’s Lobster exhibition, where you can learn about the life cycle of this fascinating creature. In addition, the Scottish Seabird Centre has East Lothian’s only sundeck and a great café, which serves both gluten-free and vegetarian cuisine.

Accessibility

The Scottish Seabird Centre, which lies just 30 minutes’ drive from Edinburgh, is a fully accessible building, making it easy for you to visit as a mobility scooter user. You can travel to the Centre via train, bus, taxi, ferry, or by car, and you can use the find us tool to easily plan your trip. You’ll find disabled parking in the Scottish Seabird Centre’s carpark and adjacent to the main building.

When you arrive, go up the Centre’s tarmac-covered path to reach its step-free, 880mm wide, double doors. The push button by the side of the doors will open them and allow you to enter the Centre’s ground floor, which has a flat vinyl surface that’s suitable for mobility scooter users. The Centre also has accessible toilets and you can access its Boat Trip Booking office by going down the side road to the nearby harbour and up the adjacent ramp. Meanwhile, you can take an 880mm wide lift up to the venue’s popular Discovery Centre. Find out more by reading the Centre’s Accessibility Statement.

Share your accessible attraction with Quingo!

If you’ve been to visit any great accessible places on your Quingo or would like us to write about a particular place you have visited, we’d be delighted to hear from you! You can email your stories, recommendations and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.