Londoners Chocolate singalong!

Londoners entered into a world of Pure Imagination at the first ever Singalonga Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory yesterday.

 

Cats Returns To London!

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-breaking musical Cats returns to the West End for a strictly limited 12 week run at the London Palladium beginning early December 2014. 

Watch Wimbledon In Chelsea!

With the reigning champion Murray set to try and defend his Wimbledon title, Duke of York Square is offering the next best thing to a courtside seat as they erect 14ft screens to broadcast the Wimbledon finals weekend live across the square. From 3rd – 6th July, soak up the rays as well as the competitive atmosphere in the heart of Chelsea, as the highly anticipated semi-finals and finals are shown on the lawn behind Duke of York Square.

First UK Theme Park To Open Disabled Facility!

Chessington World of Adventures Resort has partnered with The Changing Places Consortium to become the first theme park in England and within Merlin Entertainments Ltd to install a hi-tech new changing facility for customers with disabilities.

For people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, as well as other serious impairments such as spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis or an acquired brain injury, it can often be difficult to use toilets comfortably. However, now disabled guests who visit the Resort will have access to toilets with extra features, such as a height adjustable adult-sized changing bench and a non-slip floor, disabled toilet, disabled shower, electrical hoist, and more space to meet the needs of disabled guests with room for a wheelchair and up to two carers.

I Can't Believe My Eyes!

Aspiring photographers were asked to send in their most beautiful pictures (captured whilst traveling across the globe by car), stemming from the belief that there is beauty to be found in every journey. Avis received hundreds of stunning photographs and the best were shortlisted by the judges from Getty Images before going head-to-head in a public competition.

Disabled Dance Goes To Latitude

Since 2008 Sadler’s Wells has presented dance at Latitude Festival to audiences in excess of 40,000 people across the years. This summer the theatre returns for a seventh consecutive year, presenting a diverse programme on the Waterfront Stage from Thursday 17 – Sunday 20 July 2014.

Search For Future Paralympians

The University of Wolverhampton’s Walsall Campus played host to SMILE earlier this month.  Over 200 young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND) from the Black Country attended the talent-spotting sports event.

Feeling lucky? #RoyalAscot

Champagne? Money? Hat?

 

Royal Ascot is one of the highlights on the social calendar. Attended by over 300,000 people every year, the week-long competition, is favoured by the Queen. I bought tickets for the Grandstand enclosure (with the carer going free) but you can also by cheaper tickets for the Silver Ring. I went on Ladies Day but tickets are also cheaper for any of the other days.

 

 

 
Disabled parking is free but it is essential to book in advance and arrive early as spaces are limited. The event is across the road from the car park.  When you arrive, there is a step-free entrance, and the grounds are flat. There are many drink and food outlets but I paid to access the Furlong Club. It is a heated, luxury, bar with seating which leads out onto a balcony where you have a good view of the racetrack. There is a large ramp to enter with many workers on hand to help.

The day has six races and in between you can place bets or observe the smart clothes and hats worn by other punters, partly due to a stricter dress code. There are lifts to different viewing platforms and large disabled toilets.

Ronan Keating Joins The West End!

On 17 November 2014Ronan Keating will join the West End cast of Olivier award-winning musical Once, to play the leading role of Guy.  

Ronan Keating said:  “I think there's going to be lots to learn and lots to gain from this experience and I just want to be the absolute best that I can be."

 Directed by John Tiffany,the West End production of Once opened in April 2013 and is currently booking at the Phoenix Theatre to 4 July 2015. 

Staycation Summer?

Following claims of a backlog of half a million passport applications, independent self-catering cottage agency holidaycottages.co.uk lists reasons why holidaymakers are better off booking a staycation.

Car Allows Disabled Lecturer To Continue

Frank Adams, 50 from Holmfirth near Huddersfield who lives with severely restricted mobility, has continued to campaign and educate academic and non-academics locally about disability, thanks to a drive-from-wheelchair car.

England Fans Win World Cup!

Data has revealed that the English team will be rallying more support on the ground this World Cup than their European rivals. UK flight searches to Brazil are up 697% compared to 2013 and far more English fans are looking into flights than German, Spanish, French and Italian supporters. English fans also top the table when it comes to securing the best prices, paying 9.3% less than German foes.

Travel search engine, KAYAK, processes over one billion queries for travel information annually and World Cup data has been drawn from these searches. Prices and demand for flights and hotels to see the action in Brazil this summer were collected from UK, French, German, Spanish and Italian searches.

Which Plane Seat Do You Prefer?

 

June Window or aisle? Front or back? With millions set to jet off this summer easyJet has revealed the most popular places to sit on the plane.        The UK's largest airline polled 10,000 passengers from countries across Europe on their seat preference and found that nationality, age and travel companion all play an important factor in where passengers prefer to sit.

Disabled Anglers Fish Again!

Anglers with disabilities will soon have safer access to fishing at Spring Grove Pond in Bookham.
Twenty volunteers from UK Power Networks Services, plus their contractors, are swapping their usual jobs for a community challenge today and tomorrow (June 5/6).

They are constructing a 70metre-long path leading to the pond, off Eastwick Drive, and the company's contractors are providing specialist machinery and materials for the task.

Heathrow Terminal 2 Opens!

United Airlines operates first flights into Heathrow Terminal 2 | News | Breaking Travel News

Learn The Lingo!

In time for kick off on 12^th June, the language learning platform has launched the ‘Banter Translator’, allowing Brits to brush up on their footie repartee in other languages and contribute cutting commentary in Brazil’s native Portuguese.

Top ten phrases include:

 

             

 

The referee needs glasses!	O juiz precisa de óculos!
It's not over until it's over!	O jogo só acaba quando termina
Only one team is going to be the winner today	Somente um time será o vencedor hoje.
We're just going to concentrate on each game as it comes.	Vamos nos concentrar em um jogo de cada vez.
My nan could have scored that!	Até a minha avó poderia ter marcado esse gol
At the end of the day, the best team won.	No final do dia, o melhor time ganhou
He certainly knows where the goal is.	Esse sabe onde fica o gol
That was clearly a penalty!	Isso foi um pênalti claro!
That was definitely off-side	Isso foi um impedimento com certeza.
There are no easy games in international football	Não existem jogos fáceis no futebol internacional.
¡El árbitro necesita gafas!	Arbitro, mettiti gli occhiali!
Hasta que pita el árbitro no se ha acabado.	Non è finita finché non è finita.
Solo un equipo va a ganar hoy aquí.	Oggi la squadra vincitrice sarà solo una.
Nos vamos a centrar en cada partido.	Ci concentreremo su una partita alla volta.
Mi abuela podría haber marcado.	Quel goal lo poteva segnare mia nonna.
Al final del día ganó el mejor equipo.	Alla fine, ha vinto il migliore.
El sabe dónde está la portería.	Conosce certamente la via del goal.
¡Fue penalty claro!	Quello era chiaramente un fallo!
Era fuera de juego seguro.	Quello era sicuramente fuorigioco.
No hay partidos fáciles en competiciones internacionales.	Non ci sono partite facili nel calcio internazionale.

 

The phrases can be practiced on the website where you can practice your reading, writing, and listening skills through a simple game-like format. 

Whether travelling to Brazil or watching in the local, users can complete the snack-sized exercises on the morning commute, in the queue for the stadium, or en route to the pub, and tag their favourite phrases for easy access during the game.

The ‘Banter Translator’ allows fans to expand their footie chat in 12 languages ensuring communication is no barrier to enjoying a truly international World Cup experience.

Tourism Increases

According to the annual ‘UK Tourism Dynamics report’ issued by Barclays Bank, “by 2017 total expenditure by domestic and overseas tourists in the UK is expected to increase by 27% to just over £135.5bn”. This marks a pivotal point for the tourism industry, with more disposable income being spent on holidays and a sign that the economy is ever improving.