Accessible Britain
Accessible-Britain-eBook-2016
Accessible-Britain-eBook-2016
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It’s the colour of the pitch – such a bright green against the red and grey of the stadium<br />
– that hits you as you wheel out to one of the three-hundred-plus wheelchair spaces<br />
around the ground. Visitors never fail to be awestruck and, arguably, wheelchair users<br />
can choose from the best seats in the house.<br />
If you can’t attend a match here, taking a tour around the stadium is the next best<br />
thing – as well as exploring the pitch, you’ll be shown around otherwise restricted areas<br />
such as the press room, footballers’ dressing rooms, royal boxes and the players’ tunnel.<br />
You can even have your picture taken with a replica FA Cup, or sitting in the managers’<br />
seat in the press room. Throughout, you’ll be made to feel enormously welcome by staff,<br />
who are justly proud of the stadium’s accessibility. Lifts and disabled toilets abound,<br />
turnstiles, food and merchandise counters are at the right level and the surface is carshowroom<br />
smooth. Induction loops are everywhere and, if you’re here for a match, you<br />
can listen to commentary delivered via headsets available from access points. A free app<br />
for Apple and Android devices gives useful stadium and travel information.<br />
Blue Badge parking is available in the stadium’s two car parks (book at least three<br />
days in advance). If you’re arriving at Wembley Park Tube, note that not all carriages<br />
provide level access: ask for guidance on earlier station platforms. The journey to the<br />
stadium is straightforward, and on match days the police will direct you via ramps<br />
to Wembley Way. Information on dial-a-ride and shuttle buses is available from the<br />
website. Once you’ve reached the stadium, you should be fine.<br />
FOOD & DRINK aa The on-site restaurants are only available to Club Wembley members;<br />
for everyone else, there’s the staple burger and pie outlets, which are pricey – buy before<br />
you arrive!<br />
LONDON<br />
003 London Fields Lido<br />
Address: Hackney E8 3EU Web: www.better.org.uk/leisure/london-fields-lido Email: london-fieldslido@gll.org<br />
Tel: 020 72549038 Hours: daily 6.30am–9pm Dates: closed 25 Dec Entry: [D] Free<br />
swimming for disabled people and their carer (with proof of eligibility) [A]£4.80 [5–15s]£2.85 [Con]<br />
discounted membership and entry for seniors; free annual membership for Hackney residents<br />
After a vociferous campaign by Hackney residents, London Fields Lido was restored<br />
following decades of neglect and reopened in spring 2007. As London’s only Olympicsized<br />
heated outdoor pool, it attracts regular swimmers from as far away as Kent.<br />
Such is its popularity during weekends at the height of summer, visitors should arrive<br />
early to guarantee even being able to squeeze in alongside all the other families splashing<br />
around. But in winter, as steam gently rises from the water’s surface, more often than<br />
not it is only stalwart locals ploughing up and down the fifty-metre pool. Don’t be<br />
put off from visiting at this time of the year, as the water is heated to a comfortable<br />
25–27°C. When the weather is exceptionally cold, extra lifeguards are on duty, peering<br />
through the swirling fog to keep everybody in view. Swimming courses are available for<br />
various age groups, as are women-only sessions. The attitude of the enthusiastic staff<br />
reflects the pride that the local community takes in the lido’s services. All staff receive<br />
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