Monday 16 December 2013

Radisson Christmas Present


If you’re thinking of having a staycation next year, Radisson Blu are offering 30% off weekend stays from Boxing Day until August 2014 at their 21 hotels and 50% off weekend stays at 21 Park Inn.
Full prepayment is required and bookings, which are subject to availability, must be made between 16th December and 31st January 2014.

With rooms from as low as £24.50 per person, from a city escape to Belfast, Glasgow or Manchester, to a relaxing spa break in Farnham or Galway; there’s a stylish hotel to suit everyone’s needs.  Travellers may also want to take advantage of the discounted rates to book a pre-holiday stay at airport hotels in Dublin, East Midlands, Manchester and Stansted.

The offer includes bed and breakfast and is based on two people sharing a room.  There is no minimum stay, so guests can chose a one, two or three night break and get 30% off each night.

For bookings or to get more information and details of all UK and Ireland hotels, visit www.radissonblu.co.uk/winter-sale or www.radissonblu.ie/winter-sale

Friday 13 December 2013

#TheViewfromtheShard for Free!

Head to The View from The Shard on Sunday (15/12) dressed as Santa Claus and get free admission!
Celebrating its first Christmas, Western Europe’s tallest building, will provide the offer between 10am – 1pm.
It is on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, and must be redeemed in person (in a full traditional Father Christmas outfit) on the day.



Visitors to The View are able to see across the UK’s capital for up to 40 miles on a clear day, with spectacular 360 degree views of London’s landmarks and the city’s Christmas illuminations.

This special offer is part of a series of activities and promotions The View is undertaking this Christmas season. A ‘Kids Go Free’ offer will run from 20 December – 6 January, an adult choir competition, ‘Sing it from the rooftops’, will run from 2 – 23 December, and 500 local school children from the London Borough of Southwark will also visit The View to sing Christmas carols throughout this month.

Read about wheelchair access here.

Which Stair Lift?

Which Stair Lift?: As we grow older and our mobility declines, the fear of falling down the stairs can be a very real one, to both individuals and their families.

Thursday 12 December 2013

How to keep fit with a disability #wheelchairfitness




A recent study found that people who consistently followed four or five key behaviours experienced a 60% decline in dementia and cognitive decline, with exercise being the strongest mitigating factor. The other four behaviours were low bodyweight, a healthy diet, low alcohol intake, and not smoking.

Being in a wheelchair should not stop you getting some exercise. Click here for NHS advice.




Wednesday 11 December 2013

Disabled Flying Help

Are you getting ready for a winter escape or thinking about booking a summer getaway? If you are disabled and worried about the flight, check out these useful organisations.

TRAVELCHAIR   

Virgin Atlantic is the first airline to purchase the TravelChair from the children’s charity MERU.

It has been specially designed to provide postural support for disabled children during air travel.  It can accommodate children between the ages of 3 – 11 years (depending on height and weight) and offers firm, postural support for a wide range of disabilities.

travelchair

Parents simply advise the airline of their need to use the TravelChair when making the booking to ensure it is on board for both outbound and inbound flights – all at no extra charge.

Try b4u Fly
QEF Mobility Services allow disabled people and their families to experience the requirements of air travel in advance of booking their flights
Travellers with physical disabilities can experience different seating solutions which would suit their needs, with advice on how to use them effectively, to ensure comfort and correct support.
QEF Mobility Services 0208 770 1151 for an appointment for more information.

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Anthem of the Seas!

Lauren Laverne and Stuart Maconie recently hosted a celebration of music to launch Anthem of the Seas, a new ship from Royal Caribbean International, which has music at its heart.

 



Speaking at the launch of the ship, DJ Lauren Laverne commented, “Bob Geldof once said that everybody talks about the power of art, but you don’t often stand in front of a painting and cry, but music has that power over us. It’s the closest thing we’ve got to magic”.
Music industry expert, author and DJ, Stuart Maconie was tasked with researching what makes a song an anthem and what is it about an anthem that gets under people’s skin. As part of the research, Stuart, put together a list of songs with anthemic status  – both recently popular and traditional – and asked the nation to choose the song that makes them the happiest.


Especially composed versions of the top 5 anthems were performed on the night by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. They are;

1.     "It’s a Beautiful Day" by U2

2.     "Hey Jude" by The Beatles

3.     "Jerusalem" by Parry

4.     "Angels" by Robbie Williams

5.     "Nimrod" by Elgar


The new ship, Anthem of the Seas, will become the most entertainment-dedicated and technologically advanced cruise ship ever to be based in the UK when it launches in spring 2015, taking in the sights of the Mediterranean.


Watch more!

Friday 6 December 2013

Accessible Christmas

With thanks to Stella Young is the editor of Ramp Up.

Christmas tree with ornaments
Decorating the tree can be quite the access challenge. Credit: Fluer Suijten (Stock.Xchng)

Well, I'm ready for Christmas. My lightweight, appropriately-sized presents are wrapped. My wheelchair accessible travel to see my family is booked. My chair has had her Christmas cut and polish.
 
I do really like Christmas. Apart from a few traditions that make this time of year a bit, well, inaccessible for me. As a wheelchair user, and a rather small one at that, I think there are a few changes we could make to Christmas that would make it much more equitable.
For a start, does the prize ornament really have to go on the top of the tree? Every year I go to the effort of dragging the hefty plastic tree out of the cupboard and assembling it. And before you jump in with how much lovelier a live tree is, you try being less than a metre tall and lopping down the real deal. I love nothing more than popping on some cheesy Christmas carols and decorating to my heart's content. I always have a jolly old time, until I step back to admire my work and realise I've only managed to decorate two-thirds of the way up the tree. And forget about that star that's supposed to go on the top. In my house, the star sits about half-way up jutting out the side like a poorly-fitted prosthetic limb. Visitors know not to mention it, it's a sore point.

When December rolls around every year, people start panicking about their Christmas shopping, and disabled people are no exception. I've noticed that the increased amount of people in shopping centres can have some extra consequences for wheelchair users. There are more people to interrupt you while you're waiting in ludicrously long queues to ask what's wrong with you. More people to pat you on the head while you're waiting at the lights. More people to hang their hefty shopping bags on you at the tram stop. Not all of these things are bad, don't get me wrong. I've scored many a handy item by taking off with someone else's Christmas haul when they've mistaken my mobility aide and personal space for a luggage rack.

What I don't appreciate about Christmas shoppers is that in the rush to buy their Aunt Mabel just the right shade of pashmina, they just don't look where they're swinging their parcels. Not a Christmas shopping expedition has ever gone by without me receiving a nasty thwack to the face with a household appliance concealed in a shopping bag. My family now expect me to have a black eye at Christmas lunch. If I'm not sporting a shiner, they assume I haven't gotten them any presents.
The other Christmas tradition I think we could perhaps tinker with in the name of increasing access is our old friend the turkey. So far, I've gotten away with going home for Christmas and having my lovely Mum cook the turkey but now that I'm a grown up, it'll eventually be my turn to host Christmas and do the lunch. As I mentioned, I'm kind of small. The turkey is, as birds go, one of the more humongous ones. Hoofing a meal that's weighs about the same as you into an oven is no mean feat and I'm a bit frightened of doing a Sylvia Plath.

I know I could probably avoid all of these little inaccessible Christmas pitfalls. I could forego the average height tree and decorate a bonsai, do my shopping online and cook one of those little turkey rolls instead of a whole hulking bird, but I can't help thinking it just wouldn't be the same. A bit of Christmas inaccessibility adds to the fun at this time of year. Besides, I make up for it by using the tinsel I can't put on the top of my tree to adorn my chair instead.

Add any of your wheelchair accessible Christmas tips.

Thursday 5 December 2013

Hotels No More?

Business executives are checking out of hotels in favour of short stay holiday lets as they seek more home comforts on the road.
The trend is being fuelled by new websites offering travellers easy access to homes, apartments and rooms across Europe’s top cities.

One site, Travelstaytion, which allows users to let and search for accommodation in 41 destinations, has reported a surge in bookings from business travellers.


“The new generation of business travellers are looking for more off-the-beaten-path experiences while they work away,” Anastasinis said.  “Trendy, boutique rentals mean they can get a real flavour for cities, while still staying in central locations for meetings. For regular travellers tired of hotel suites, a chic apartment and the opportunity to get among the locals can really brighten up a trip.”

Wednesday 4 December 2013

Princess for the Day!


If you’re visiting London with children, you can now have a magical day without going all the way to Disneyland.
The Disney Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique has launched at Harrods, London. It is the first time that a Disney Parks and Resorts offering has been recreated in the UK.  This magical retail experience, invites children to step into the world of their fairy tale heroes and heroines for a magical transformation and a master-class in the qualities it takes to be a Princess or a Knight.

Inspired by the famous "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" scene in the Disney animated Cinderella film, where Cinderella's Fairy Godmother transforms her for the ball. The Boutique is set in a fairy tale castle enclosed within the glittering walls of Harrods.  In the stately fitting room behind the large wooden castle doors, dazzling dresses and shimmering accessories are encased and within the boutique salon, ornate golden mirrors line the walls.



Harrods is easily accessible to wheelchair users via any of the front doors along Brompton Road or at Door 3, located at the rear of the store in Basil Street. Alternatively, Door 5 on Hans Crescent is also a convenient entry point and there are lifts for access to the upper floors nearby. The ground level is flat and there are security personnel at all the doors who would be pleased to assist with entry. Kensington and Chelsea Council provide parking spaces for disabled permit-holders in Basil Street.


Harrods also provide the facility to pre book the use of a manual wheelchair. This can be done by telephoning +44 20 7730 1234. Photo identification e.g. passport or valid driving licence, will be required to be shown prior to receiving a Harrods wheelchair

 

Monday 2 December 2013

Adopt A Christmas Elf!


If you still have some money left over from the huge savings weekend, and want to have an extra special family Christmas, you can Adopt A Christmas Elf!
Grosvenor HouseApartments by Jumeirah Living have created a perfect London experience.

Upon arrival, guests will be greeted with a delicious Festive Afternoon Tea. Thereafter, two enchanting Elves will arrive at the family's residence each day for five days, ready to delight children and adults alike with a captivating range of activities and excursions.

On the first day of the stay, a knock on the door will reveal the family's very own excited Elves, armed with a beautiful Christmas tree and supplies of stunning decorations. The family can relax into a cosy afternoon of traditional carols and festive stories from the Elves as  they help plan and decorate the perfect tree.
The next day, a pirate adventure awaits with a trip to the London Aquarium. Located on the popular South bank of the River Thames, the family will be whisked off in a private car to view one of Europe's largest collections of global marine life. With the Elves as pirate guides, mini-pirates will be introduced to fishy friends galore as they walk beneath the waves, and even swim with a shark!
The rest of the week is packed full of magic and mystery. A comical Christmas magic show will astound with incredible spells, mysterious mind control and the art of vanishing, with the opportunity for magic fans to learn the secrets themselves. Wizarding experts can then add to their knowledge with a tour of Harry Potter's London.
Discover fabulous locations from the films, such as the doorway to the Leaky Cauldron, the entrance to Platform 9 ¾ and many, many more.

On the last day of the Elf experience, the family's new fun-loving friends will arrive with baskets full of delicate parchment paper, shiny golden letters, and pots of sparkling glitter. With the children focused on an afternoon of letter-writing to Santa, adults may wish to enjoy an in-residence spa treatment to relax. Then await the arrival of one last special visitor; Santa Claus himself, ready to personally collect any letters and wish everyone a Merry Christmas.
There are seven disabled access apartments.