Tag Archives: London

Attractions, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Scooters Accessible Attractions: Apollo Victoria Theatre

Quingo Scooters are bringing you yet another great British attraction in England’s capital this week as part of our Accessible Attractions series. This one is for theatre fans…

QUINGO SCOOTERS ACCESSIBLE ATTRACTIONS: APOLLO VICTORIA THEATRE 2
Editorial credit: Zabotnova Inna / Shutterstock.com

The Apollo Victoria Theatre

The Apollo Victoria Theatre is a West End theatre within the Westminster district of London. The theatre opened in 1930 as a cinema and variety theatre; it then became a venue for musical theatre beginning with The Sound of Music in 1981, including Starlight Express which ran from 1984 to 2002. The theatre is now the home of the award-winning musical Wicked, which has wowed audiences at the venue for 11 years.

Wicked

First opening on Broadway in 2003, and at The Apollo Victoria Theatre in 2006, Wicked has achieved huge success, and continues to impress critics and audiences. It quickly picked up three Tony Awards and even a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album. The show is adapted from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, Wicked, is the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, and how they became known as the most famous witches of Oz.

The music and lyrics were produced by the talented musical theatre legend Stephen Schwartz, his most notable works being Godspell, Pippin, Children of Eden and The Baker’s Wife. Schwartz’ career has spanned across theatre and film, with screen credits including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pocahontas and the song ‘When You Believe’ from The Prince of Egypt.

The show features a host of famous musical theatre stars. Idina Menzel, Kerry Ellis, Rachel Tucker, Willemijn Verkaik and Emma Hatton have all donned the black hat of Elphaba. Glinda has been played by stars including Kristin Chenoweth, Megan Hilty, Dianne Pilkington, Annaleigh Ashford and Gina Beck.

Ticket prices and opening times

Wicked is shown Monday through to Saturday at 7.30pm; on Wednesday and Saturday there are additional shows at 2.30pm. The theatre closes on Sundays.

Ticket prices range from £19.50 to £125 depending on the seats that are chosen. Each has an individual booking fee, which can be found on the ‘Booking Fees’ page here.

QUINGO SCOOTERS ACCESSIBLE ATTRACTIONS: APOLLO VICTORIA THEATRE 3

Getting there

The Apollo Victoria Theatre is located very close to Victoria Station in the heart of Victoria, London. The theatre is close to other well-known attractions such as Westminster Cathedral and a large number of shops. The theatre boasts great transport links to central London as well as the surrounding areas.

By tube or rail, the theatre is a short distance from Victoria Station, which has both underground links to the Victoria, District and Circle lines as well as National Rail links to the South East.

By bus, visitors can take the bus from Victoria Station to and from local London areas, there are several bus services, which can be found here.

By car, visitors can access various meters on the roads surrounding the theatre, located on Allington Street, Bressenden Place and Carlisle Place. The standard tariff is usually £2 per hour, however due to the business, prices may differ and the area can become crowded. Alternatively, London Victoria car park is 6 minutes away from the theatre and is priced at £22 for the day.

For more information regarding travelling to the theatre, click here.

Accessibility

The accessible entrance to the theatre is via a platform lift at the Vauxhall Bridge Road entrance, this provides level access to the accessible toilets and foyer facilities. Before arriving, it is advised to contact the Front of House team to organise operation of the lift and to arrive between 30 and 45 minutes before the performance. The theatre has four accessible spaces, again booking is recommended as there is limited availability. There are limited parking facilities in Victoria and for those with a blue badge. The closest bays to the theatre are Grosvenor Gardens, Carlisle Place and further along Wilton Road. For more information regarding accessibility, click here.

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 Scooters Accessible Attractions: The British Museum

Quingo Scooters are heading back to the capital this week for another instalment of our Accessible Attractions series. We’re discovering world cultures as well as learning about artefacts from across the globe.

Quingo Scooters British Museum 2

The museum

This week we’re visiting The British Museum in London, founded in 1753, the museum is home to a range of objects from across the world. It showcases a vast collection of artefacts, which tell the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present day. With over 70 galleries there’s something for everyone:

  • Virtual pilgrimage: reimagining India’s Great Shrine of Amaravati (until 8 October) – The Great Shrine of Amaravati was one of the oldest, largest and most important Buddhist monuments in ancient India. Discover the Shrine’s significance and learn about the pilgrims who funded its construction.
  • Desire, love, identity: exploring LGBTQ histories (until 15 October) – the display offers glimpses into LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) histories, experiences and lives from across the globe as the exhibit covers ancient civilisations up until the present day.
  • Living histories: recent acquisitions of works on paper by contemporary Arab artists (until 22 October) – the display highlights recent additions of posters, prints, drawings, photographs and artists’ books to the museum. Many of the artists come from Syria, illustrating the modern history of country in artistic form.
  • The business of prints (21 September 2017 until 28 January 2018) – the exhibitions shows fine examples from Britain’s print collection to look at how prints were created, developed, bought and sold in the period 1400-1850.

Each of the above exhibitions is free of charge to view.

Quingo Scooters British Museum 3

Opening times and entry prices

The museum is open daily from 10am – 5.30pm, the museum is closed on 24, 25, 26 December and 1 January. The museum has free entry for all visitors.

For more information, visit the ‘Admission and Opening Times’ page of the museum’s website here.

Getting there

The museum is located in central London, for visitors travelling by Tube, the nearest underground stations are Tottenham Court Road (500m), Holborn (500m), Russell Square (800m) and Goodge Street (800m). For more information, visit the Transport for London tube maps website here.

By Bus, there are a number of services that run near to the museum stopping on New Oxford Street, northbound on Tottenham Court Road, southbound on Gower Street and Southampton Row. For more information, visit the Transport for London bus routes website here.

By car, visitors should follow directions for Great Russel Street in Central London. The museum is within the Congestion Charge zone; therefore, visitors will be required to pay this charge. There is little on-street parking available, the nearest carpark to the museum is located at Bloomsbury Square. There is a limited amount of disabled parking in the Museum’s forecourt. To make parking arrangements contact the museum.

For more information, visit the ‘Getting Here’ section of the museum’s website here.

Accessibility

The majority of the museum has level access, the Great Russell Street entrance has a lift on either side of the steps, alternatively there is level access at the Montague Place entrance. The majority of the galleries and all special exhibitions are fully accessible for scooter users, there are lifts available to allow access to each of the galleries. There are accessible toilets in the Great Court, the Ford Centre for Young Visitors, the Clore Education Centre and to the north of Room 66.

For more information, visit the ‘Access’ page of the museum’s website here.

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 Scooters Accessible Attractions: Southwark Cathedral, London

Quingo Scooters are taking a trip to the capital for this week’s addition to our Accessible Attractions series. An attraction that combines fascinating history with incredible architecture.

Southwark Cathedral is London’s oldest cathedral church building. It’s believed that there has been a church on the site since AD 606, or even earlier. Southwark Cathedral stands at the oldest crossing point of the tidal Thames, at what was the only entrance to the City of London across the river for centuries.

Quingo Scooters Southwark Cathedral 2

The Cathedral

Southwark Cathedral at London Bridge has been a place of worship for over 1,000 years, but only a cathedral since the creation of the diocese of Southwark in 1905. Between 1106 and 1538 it was the Church of an Augustinian priory dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Much of the building today retains the basic form of the Gothic structure built between 1220 and 1420, although the nave is a late 19th century reconstruction.

The Cathedral runs normal daily services throughout the day, and is a popular venue for concerts, graduation ceremonies and special services. There are regular organ recitals held on Monday lunchtimes and Tuesday afternoons – a splendid feature of the church and well worthwhile for all visitors.

The Cathedral also offers a variety of exhibitions, including:

  • Caro Rathbone – An exhibition of paintings (2 September 2017) – Caro Rathbone’s paintings are largely abstract using oils, watercolours, gouache and mixed media. She aims to reflect the joys and tribulations of life in her work. The exhibition will open from 10am to 6pm.
  • Jim Grover – Of things not seen (2 October 2017) – Of things not seen is a photo-essay by the award-winning photographer Jim Grover, which tells the story of a year of ministry by the Reverend Kit Gunasekera. The exhibition will open from 10am to 6pm.
  • Chico Mentor – An exhibition of paintings (28 October 2017) – Chico paints in oil and acrylics on canvas to aim for a playful and happy expression with dynamic colours and shapes. The subjects are the people in London and Latin America, their customs and their religion. The exhibition will open from 10am to 6pm.

The Cathedral offers a guided tour led by a certified Cathedral guide on Fridays at 11am and 1pm, and Sundays at 1pm. Please contact the Cathedral before visiting to check whether a tour is available.

Quingo Scooters Southwark Cathedral 3

Opening times

The Cathedral is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 8.30am to 6pm. The Cathedral closes at 1pm on Christmas Day (25 December). The main visiting times for the Cathedral are from 10am to 5pm.  For more information regarding the opening times, visit the website here.

Getting there

The Cathedral is situated on the Southbank in central London, it is 5 minutes from London Bridge and the London Bridge station. The Cathedral is easy to reach from central London mainline and underground stations. For more information, visit the website here.

Accessibility

There is access to all levels of the Cathedral via lifts or fixed portable ramps, there is level access on all levels of the Cathedral. Accessible toilets are located at the West end on the ground floor, as well as the East end in the basement via a lift. For more information visit the website here or contact Southwark Cathedral via its website.

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 Scooters Accessible Attractions: Madame Tussauds London

Here at Quingo Scooters, we aim to bring you the best attractions the UK has to offer. This week, as part of our Accessible Attractions series, we’re travelling to one of the world’s most popular attractions, within England’s bustling capital.

Madame Tussauds London, is home to hundreds of life-size wax replicas of famous people and historic icons. It has over 300 wax figures on display, from Audrey Hepburn to Usain Bolt!

Quingo Scooters Madame Tussauds 2
Editorial credit: Nataliia Zhekova / Shutterstock.com

Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds was founded by Marie Tussaud; she learnt wax modelling from a physician, Philippe Curtius. Following his death in 1794 she inherited the doctor’s collection of wax models, she spent the next 33 years travelling around Europe displaying the waxworks. She married Francois Tussaud in 1795, and her show acquired the name Madame Tussauds.

The museum is part of a global chain visited by millions of people and it holds a vast collection of impressive waxworks, such as:

  • New for 2017 – the Kong Skull Island Experience. Visitors will come face to face with an eighteen foot animatronic Kong head, journeying through the jungle with Captain James Conrad. Investigate the creatures lurking beneath the trees before meeting the legendary ape.
  • Music Area – you’re invited backstage at one of the best music events of the year, meet with the world’s most famous musicians and pop icons, including Madonna, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus.
  • Royals and Culture – practice your curtsey, as you’ll be meeting with the whole royal family. Including Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
  • Sport Area – meet with some of the world’s greatest athletes, including Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah.
  • Film Area – step into the limelight surrounded by the greatest film icons in the world. Meet with ET, Katniss Everdeen and Audrey Hepburn.
  • Party Area – make your way down the red carpet with your favourite A list celebrities. Including Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Victoria and David Beckham, Kate Winslet and Colin Firth.

Ticket prices

Single entry tickets for Madame Tussauds are £35 for adults (16+) and £30 for children (4-15). Visitors booking online will receive a saving on their ticket prices, online prices are £29 for adults and £24 for children. Standard tickets include entry to Star Wars and Marvel Super Heroes experiences. Priority tickets are £50 as an online exclusive, they include faster entrance into the attraction, as well as including the Star Wars and Marvel Super Heroes experiences. The VIP Stage Door Entry tickets are £70 as an online exclusive. They include fast track entrance to the attraction, as well as queue-jump for the Spirit of London ride. Entry into Star Wars and the Sherlock Holmes experiences, with included VIP seating in our Marvel Super Heroes 4D cinema and free popcorn!

For more information on ticket prices, please visit the ticket page here.

Quingo Scooters Madame Tussauds 3

Opening times

Opening times vary throughout the year, please see the Madame Tussauds opening times here before planning your visit. Madame Tussauds is closed on the 25 December.

  • During super peak seasons opening times are 8.30am – 6pm.
  • Standard opening times; weekdays 9am – 4pm and weekends 9am – 5pm.
  • Summer off peak; weekdays 9am – 5pm and weekends 8.30am – 6pm.
  • Pre-peak; weekdays 9am – 4pm and weekends 8.30am – 6pm.

Getting there

By London Underground, Madame Tussauds is two minutes from Baker Street station. Baker Street station is on the Bakerloo, Circle, Jubilee, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines.

By train, the nearest mainline station to Madame Tussauds is Marylebone which is within 10 minutes from the attraction. Alternatively, Euston, St. Pancras, Paddington, Victoria, Waterloo and Charing Cross mainline stations are all within five stops using the underground.

By bus, the following travel to Madame Tussauds: 13, 18, 27, 30, 74, 82, 113, 139, 189, 205, 274 and 453.

For visitors travelling by car, Marylebone Road is an extension of the A40 and joins up with Euston Road, passing by Kings Cross. Madame Tussauds is situated outside of the congestion charge zone, however there is no parking available on site. The nearest car park is on Chiltern Street, located off Marylebone Road and 5 minutes from Madame Tussauds.

For more information, please visit the Transport for London website here.

Accessibility

Madame Tussauds is set over a number of levels, there is a lift to access all levels of the attraction for scooter users. It is advised to contact the venue prior to visiting for information regarding slots in which to visit. Mobility scooters are permitted within the attraction; however, it is advised to speak to a member of staff upon arrival to discuss areas of increased difficulty for scooter users.

For more information regarding accessibility, please visit the accessibility page here.

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, Reviews

Quingo Scooters Accessible Attractions: ZSL London Zoo

Quingo Scooters are back with another Accessible Attraction for you and your family to enjoy! We’re in the capital this week discovering what more London can offer us.

If you’re an animal lover, this attraction is perfect for you! Set in the heart of London the ZSL London Zoo is perfect for a fun-packed day out with family or friends.

Quingo Scooters ZSL london zoo 2

Welcome to the wild

Within Regent’s Park sits a bustling zoo filled with animals and nature from all over the world. Set between heritage-listed buildings and beautiful gardens, the zoo boasts over 800 incredible animal species to discover. Visitors have the privilege of enjoying interactive experiences, displays, feeding times and talks all at no extra cost!

The newest edition to the ZSL London Zoo is the Land of Lions exhibit, three walkways cover the 2,500sqm exhibit, meaning you can get closer than ever to these mighty creatures. For the first time, big cat lovers can be immersed into an interactive activity, in order to help the veterinary team as they come to the rescue.

Some of the most popular animals, adored by many, are meerkats. They live in families, stand guard and babysit. Travel to southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert from the centre of London to learn about these adorable creatures.

Observe the monkeys in their natural habitat at the Bolivian inspired exhibit, it holds no boundaries between the animals and visitors. Getting up close and personal to your favourite animals has never been easier, so you can enjoy monkeying around…

Quingo Scooters ZSL london zoo 3

Meet your favourite animals!

At the ZSL London Zoo, visitors have the chance to meet their favourite animals. An unforgettable experience to cosy up to some of the world’s most incredible animals. Meet and greet is available with many of the animals, such as:

  • Penguins
  • Giraffes
  • Kangaroos
  • Meerkats
  • Rainforest creatures

There’s even more to do at the London Zoo, daily events occur frequently – whether that be a talk or a feed there’s sure to be something to do! Demonstrations occur throughout the day, such as:

  • Early Birds
  • Penguin Beach Live
  • Tigers Live
  • Lunch with the Otters
  • Going Underground
  • Giraffe High Tea
  • And many more!

Ticket prices and opening times

For visits up to 29 October 2017 prices (at the gate) are: £29.75 for adults, £22 for children (3-15 years), free for children under 3 and £26.80 for concessions; all include a voluntary 10% donation. Online ticket prices vary, as of 30 October 2017 the prices will be changing. We advise to check online before visiting the zoo. For more information visit the Ticket Prices page.

ZSL London Zoo is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. From 1 April 2017, the zoo is open from 10am, last entry at 5pm and closes at 6pm. From 4 September, the zoo will be open from 10am, last entry at 4.30pm and closes at 5.30pm. from the 21 October 2017, the zoo is open from 10am, last entry at 4pm and closes at 5pm. From the 30 October 2017, the zoo will be open from 10am, last entry at 3pm and closes at 4pm. For more information visit the Opening Times page.

Accessibility

The zoo is more than 170 years old and contains many old buildings, 12 of the buildings are listed. The majority of the zoo is accessible for scooter users, lift access is available in the Tiger Territory for people wishing to access the higher viewing platform. The aquarium has scooter friendly access via an entrance to the left of the main doorway. The Lubetkin penguin pool has limited access however, there are plenty of areas to still watch and enjoy the animals.

The zoo paths are generally tarmac with level or ramped access to most of the buildings. The slopes leading to the two tunnels in the zoo are rather steep.

Accessible toilets are located throughout the zoo site; toilets for men and women are located opposite BUGS and in the Children’s Zoo. Men’s only toilets are located by the aquarium, women’s only toilets are located near the African Aviary and zoo entrance.

There are six disabled parking bays near the zoo entrance, five are in the small car park opposite the entrance and one bay is immediately in front of the entrance. There is pay and display parking on the Outer Circle and in the zoo car park. For more information visit the Accessibility page of the website.

Getting to the zoo

Visitors travelling to the zoo by tube can use Camden Town and Regent’s Park stations, within walking distance of the zoo. Baker Street station can also be used as well as a short bus ride. Regent’s Park station is 20 minutes away from the zoo, Camden Town 15 minutes and Baker Street is 30 minutes away or a short bus ride.

Camden Town has Northern Line connections, Regent’s Park has Bakerloo Line connections and Baker Street has Jubilee, Bakerloo and Metropolitan Line connections.

By bus, the 274 service runs from Marble Arch and Baker Street to Ormonde Terrace. The C2 route should be picked up from Victoria station, Oxford Circus or Great Portland Street to Gloucester Gate. For more information on tube or bus services, visit the Transport for London website.

Visitors travelling by car should first follow directions for the centre of the city, before following directions for Regent’s Park.

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.