Image Description: Emma's view from accessible seating at Vertu Motors Arena for Cage Warriors 164. It is from the floor with the Cage Warriors cage visible in front, with the logo light up above. There is a couple of rows of seating ahead of Emma's seat
Another accessibility review! This time for the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle from my trip to see Cage Warriors 164 there in November 2023
(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)
Ticket Buying
I bought the tickets through Eventim online I believe. They are a regular ticket seller for Cage Warriors shows so I’m very used to dealing with their system. Oddly though, on this occasion they emailed me about a week or so prior to the show asking for proof of disability in relation to my tickets. I found this weird as I’ve never been asked for proof of disability for Cage Warriors tickets bought through Eventim before.
Travel
I travelled from Birmingham New Street to Newcastle with Cross Country Trains. As usual, my issue with Cross Country is the incredible steepness of the ramps on and off their trains.
We stayed at the Premier Inn The Gate in Newcastle. Only one of the two lifts up to the rooms was working at certain points during the weekend, but it didn’t really make much difference other than the occasional slightly longer wait for the lift. When it came time for breakfast, there was a platform lift to get to some of the seats and the buffet. If I’d have known there was a platform lift before I booked, I might have booked somewhere else as I really don’t trust those types of lifts. In the end, I just asked staff to seat us on the ground level and then my friend Alex, who was travelling with me, grabbed my food from the buffet.
Experience & Seating
It was a fairly long 25-minute walk to the arena as the buses weren’t running. It was very cold too which wasn’t great for my cerebral palsy (it was November in Newcastle, I’m not sure what I expected from the weather).
There was no separate accessible entrance, so I just waited in the standard queue. Once we got through ticket checks and security checks, we entered the arena. However, when we did so we realised that some kind of issue had occurred and the accessible section as we had booked it online did not exist.
I have to say that credit to the Cage Warriors team and the venue team, the issue was dealt with very swiftly. A section was created on the floor level for us and other access ticket holders and, despite being on the floor with no raised platform, I had a clear view of the cage and the action.
Overall, I found this venue fairly accessible. However, I do wonder what the original plan was for the accessible seating, and whether that would have been better, since there was the issue where the accessible seating wasn’t where we had booked it and where it was shown on the venue map
So, I would be interested to go back and see the accessible seating offering as it was originally planned. Oh wait, I AM going back, for Cage Warriors 172 at the end of May 2024. Maybe this blog post will get an update after that event?
Photo Credit Gurder (for right hand side image). Image Description: 3 images of Emma's view at Bowlers Exhibition Centre for 3 different events. The images show the view from (from left to right): Section E1, Section E2 and Section B4. In the left and centre images the view is an empty Cage Warriors cage, and in the right hand side image Paddy Pimblett carries Liam Gittins on his shoulders in the cage.
Back with another accessibility review! Technically a 3 in 1 type review as we have trains, hotel and venue all in the same review. As you can see from the title, I’ll be discussing 3 Cage Warriors events from last year, but I used the same train operators and hotel each time, and all three events were held at the same venue. Right, there’s the background, now on with the review!
(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for other experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)
Cross Country Trains (Birmingham New Street to Manchester Piccadilly)
Ticket Buying & Getting On at Birmingham New Street
As usual. I booked the tickets on Trainline and the assistance via the Passenger Assistance app. On the day of travel, I arrived at the assistance lounge in New Street station around 20 minutes before my train as instructed and staff took me to my train from there and helped me to board with the ramp.
On Train
Onboard the Cross Country trains, I’ve always found that the wheelchair spaces are difficult to navigate into because the spaces themselves only just about fit my wheelchair and the table in the space cannot be moved so it’s not like you can lift it up and move it out of the way whilst you park up and then fold it back out again. The corridor is also quite tight so trying to get into and out of the carriage whilst other passengers are boarding, or disembarking is tricky. I have, however, found it reassuring that guards on Cross Country always make sure to check where I am disembarking the train. It’s comforting as a disabled person to know that a staff member is aware you are onboard, as I often have anxiety about getting left on the train.
Disembarking & Leaving at Manchester Piccadilly
Thankfully, staff at Manchester Piccadilly were ready with the ramp as soon as my train pulled in. They were then able to assist me down the (very steep ramp and staff advised me which bus I needed to take to my destination.
Premier Inn Trafford Centre West
Booking
This was quite a simple process thankfully as I just booked an accessible room directly via the Premier Inn website. I could also choose between a room with a lowered bath or a wet room on the site when booking a room. I chose the wet room as that’s the most accessible option for me.
Travel
I took the bus from Manchester city centre to the Trafford Centre bus station. I will admit that the first time I visited I found this particular Premier Inn (There are 3 with the ‘Trafford Centre’ name) difficult to locate. Partly because it was late and partly because you have to cross a road or two to get there from the bus station, so it wasn’t immediately visible from the bus station. Once I found the hotel, I had to roll through the car park to get in as the other path didn’t have a drop kerb.
2024 Update: I now conjure up the bravery to take the tram from the train station to the Trafford Centre and it’s completely accessible to me (at least the stops I use). I can take the lift from the station concourse to the the tram level, then get a tram to Deansgate Castlefield and then switch lines from there and head to the Trafford Centre. Payment is on a tap/tap out system if you have contactless card, or you can buy a ticket on the platform. In terms of accessible boarding, there are wheelchair symbols on the floor of the platforms which denote where to board for the wheelchair spaces and there is level boarding with no ramp needed at any of the stations I’ve used. The wheelchair space is similar to buses, where you park against a board. To exit, you do have to press a button to open the doors rather than it being automatic.
Experience
The hotel itself was actually quite accessible. I was given a ground floor room which is what I prefer as that means I don’t have to battle with evacuation chairs and evacuation protocols in case of a fire. The room itself was very spacious and easy enough to manoeuvre around. I must also add that staff were very helpful in assisting me at the buffet breakfast. Hotel buffet breakfasts are something I struggle at when I travel solo as they’re often quite difficult to reach from a wheelchair.
Bowlers Exhibition Centre (BEC Arena)
Ticket Buying
As usual with Cage Warriors events in these kinds of venues, I booked the accessible seats for all 3 events over the phone with Eventim.
Travel
Even though I picked one of the closest hotels to the venue, travel was still a little complicated. I managed to get a bus part of the way there and then the rest of it was a 30-minute walk through what I believe was an industrial estate. Check out the ‘Experience’ section for what the post event travel was like because it was…interesting.
Experience & Seating
Once I got to the venue, there was a ramp up to the entry door where our tickets were checked. From there it was through a corridor (including past the accessible toilet, more on that later) before entering the area where there was a food counter, merch and some benches/seating. From there I was led down a ramp into the arena and to my seat. The accessible seating was another case of simply removing a plastic seat so I could park my wheelchair. I had pretty good seats for all 3 events. The 135 and 136 events in April were on consecutive days, and my seats for those were essentially one seat apart from each other across the aisle in section E1 and E2. My seats for the November event (146) were in section B4 (again, good seats). I would say the main difference between seating in E section and B section is that B is the opposite side of the arena to the bar and accessible toilet. They do close off part of the arena (so you can’t cross from B section to the bar/toilets) when walkouts for each fight happen. So, I would factor that in if you want to make a bar or bathroom run between fights (or use the information to your advantage so you can end up right on barrier for a particular walkout, you choose). I had some issues with my view of the cage being blocked when people stood up or stood in front of me if they got particularly invested in a fight. Thankfully, in the April events I was on the back row of the section and there was plenty of room behind the seats, so I just backed up and used my chair riser to see over everyone. Staff and fellow fans were also very good at spotting when my view was blocked and offering me empty seats where I would have a better view.
March 2024: For My most recent visit to the venue (Cage Warriors 167 and 168) there was actually a new access seating platform in the arena. I’m not sure whether it was the venue that added this or if it was added at the request of Cage Warriors, but I’m very grateful either way as it meant I could see EVERYTHING and did not have to worry once about my view being blocked by people standing. A couple of things to factor in though. Firstly the ramp up to the platform is a little steep so I’d factor that in and maybe roll a little slower when leaving the platform. The second thing to account for is that this platform is the opposite side of the platform to the bar/food/toilets so factor that into bathroom breaks, or maybe see if you have a friend who can go to the bar for the both of you. I would say time your toilet breaks for fight you want to miss, but ‘fights you want to miss’ aren’t really a thing at Cage Warriors!
Emma’s view on the access platform at Bowlers Exhibition Centre for Cage Warriors 167 and 168
Now for more on that accessible toilet in the entrance corridor. I believe it’s on the radar key system. But the radar key door doesn’t open straight into the actual bathroom as there’s an entry way and then an open doorway (without a door) into the actual bathroom. So, REMEMBER to lock that first door. The other problem with locating the accessible bathroom in that entrance corridor is that it was sometimes difficult to get to the bathroom through the flow of traffic entering and leaving the show.
As I mentioned earlier in the ‘Travel’ section, leaving the event is where things got interesting. For the April events, the buses back to the Trafford Centre had stopped running and I didn’t know where the nearest tram stop was (and frankly didn’t fancy figuring that out at gone 11pm at night, alone in a strange city). However, having seen a few taxis parked up, I thought I’d try my luck. Any wheelchair users reading this probably already know that was a false hope. I had one driver tell me that the ramp was broken (AFTER having a full 5-minute conversation with me about where I wanted to go whilst they could see I was sat in my wheelchair. The second taxi then IMMEDIATLEY said they didn’t have a ramp and frankly the immediacy of the response (before I’d even finished my sentence) made me sceptical about whether that was true. With two refusals behind me, I called it quits and decided to make the 45-minute walk back to the hotel. Alone, in the dark, through an industrial estate. Not the safest idea but frankly it was the only option I had.
With that experience in mind, for the November event I didn’t even try using the taxis that parked outside and skipped straight to the 45-minute walk. Thankfully, I had a friend with me this time but it’s still a sketchy walk and generally not fun to walk 45 minutes in November weather in the UK.
2024 update: As I mentioned above, I finally plucked up to the courage to use the trams these days, so this trip gets significantly easier. To get to/from the event, I use the Red Line from Trafford Centre to Parkway and then it’s a 15 minute or so walk. The last tram back to Trafford Centre from Parkway on a Saturday is past 1am so I know I can use this option to get home after events now.
Overall whilst the trains and hotel were great with no complaints and the venue seemed quite accessible. The lack of late night, accessible post event travel options make the situation a little difficult and sketchy, particularly if you’re disabled and travel solo as I often do (and did for the first two events here).
I hope this review was insightful and helps if you’re planning to visit Bowlers Exhibition Centre.
An absolutely mammoth train travel/access review post for you today. Birmingham New Street to London Euston and back with West Midlands Trains and Virgin Trains (which now no longer exists) and an access review of Indigo At The O2 for Cage Warriors 111.
(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)
Train & Tube Outbound
Tickets
Tickets were booked through Trainline as usual and I booked the train assistance through Cross Country Trains. I did it this way, despite Cross Country not being one of the companies I travelled with, because both West Midlands Trains and Virgin trains insisted on having my wheelchair dimensions before booking the ramp and this was not something I’d ever previously been asked for before on any journey with any train company so it wasn’t information I was willing to suddenly have to give.
Birmingham New Street to Euston to Uxbridge
I arrived at the New Street assistance reception 20 minutes before the train and was taken to the platform and put on the train with a ramp by assistance. There are no wheelchair space reservations allowed on West Midlands Trains (operator for this leg of the journey) but luckily there was a free wheelchair space for me to occupy. The catch was that it was next to the toilet, which is interesting when the toilet door slams every 10 minutes and you have a ridiculous startle reflex like mine. When it came time to get off the train, I had a short wait for assistance before the ramp turned up, then it was time to head for the Tube. Specifically, I headed for Euston Square. I made my way through a gate line and to the platform to find there were no staff anywhere to call ahead to Uxbridge and confirm I could disembark. The only staff member I could see was stood at a gate line which was up some stairs, which meant I had to sit at the bottom of said stairs and shout for assistance (it’s a good job I’ve learned to yell loudly over the years). However, the staff member did inform that the wheelchair access at Euston Square was only in one direction so in order to make the return journey for my train home I’d have to go on to Kings Cross on the Metropolitan line and then come back on myself, oh if only the return journey was that simple!
Indigo At The O2 Access Review
Tickets
Initially, I phoned Indigo At The O2 for a wheelchair space ticket and carer ticket for Cage Warriors 111 and was told there were none left, with no mention of possible single wheelchair space tickets being available. Of course, as is standard in 2020, I headed to Twitter to express my disappointment at not being able to secure a ticket. I was particularly disappointed as there was a specific fighter (shout out Paddy Pimblett) who I was desperate to see fight live (and still am). That tweet kind of exploded and gained reaction in a way I never expected with many people trying to help me out (shout out, Paddy, Molly McCann and MMA Twitter for helping me secure an answer and a ticket from the venue). Through this reaction, I was put in touch with the venue who were able to tell me there was a single wheelchair space (no carer) ticket left for what I believe was the venue’s only access platform. Forget Cinderella shall go to the ball, Em shall go to the fights!
Travel
Travel was pretty similar to all my other trips to the O2 complex. I took the Metropolitan line from Uxbridge to Wembley Park with no ramp used, although they do have ramps. I could have used Finchley Road but they refused as it would be “easier” to use Wembley Park (easier on them I assume). I then went from Wembley Park to North Greenwich on the Jubilee line and was met off the tube and guided out of North Greenwich station. On the way back into the station post event, I was bumped and barged repeatedly whilst queuing to enter the station and on my way through the station. I then HAD to get on the busiest tube out of North Greenwich to make sure I didn’t miss the last Metropolitan line train out of Wembley Park towards Uxbridge. This meant I had to sit in the middle of the train not in the designated wheelchair space (because people were stood there). THAT meant I had to just lock my arm straight to hold onto the central pole and steady my chair in case it slid around. My arm was also repeatedly leant on to the point I thought my joints might dislocate. Thankfully I made the last Metropolitan line from Wembley to Uxbridge and then had a short wait for the ramp at Uxbridge.
Experience & Seating
On arrival at the venue, I went through a ticket check and was then led to my seat on the platform. In terms of view, I had probably one of the best views of fighter walkout that I’ve ever had, with fighter walkout being immediately to my left, I was, however, a little further back than I have been for other shows in terms of view into the cage. There was also only the one small platform which meant it was quite packed and full. I did hear an assistance staff member say the platform was “not meant for so many big wheelchairs” which baffled me completely because wheelchair dimensions had never been mentioned when I bought my ticket and, let’s face it, if access is only accessible for those with certain sizes or types of mobility aids, it’s not REALLY access. The good thing about this platform was it was right next to an accessible toilet which meant toilet trips didn’t involve trekking across the venue.
*July 2022 Update: This recent visit in July 2022 was a significantly less accessible experience in terms of the view. This was because the big screen next to the accessible platform was COVERED BY A CURTAIN (screen still actually showing the fights, we just couldn’t see because curtain). See below for what I mean. This meant that I had no view of a portion of the fights as the platform wasn’t positioned for a clear view of the whole cage and the big screen (which I would have used when I couldn’t see a section of the cage) was covered by this curtain. Whilst this was an annoyance for me, I was particularly thinking of those attendees who might be low vision (like my friend Alex) or short sighted and so have trouble seeing the cage from this distance. Having the screen NOT covered by this curtain would have meant they could use the view from the screen to better understand what was going on in the cage, leading to a more accessible and more overly enjoyable experience.
Photo Credit: Alex Ramzan. Image Description: View from the accessibility platform. A curtain covering a large portion of the big screen which is to the left of the access platform.
March 2024 Update: On my recent visit back to the Indigo for Cage Warriors 169, staff informed me that the ramp to the access platform had changed and was now wider and a little bit steeper. The actual platform itself hasn’t gotten any wider though as it was still as overpacked and tight as it usually is. Maybe the wider ramp was requested, but I personally didn’t see any improvement or difference. The one positive improvement was that the barrier in front of the platform is now solid panels (instead of the bars you can see in the above photo). This meant those stood on the floor below the platform couldn’t sneak their arms through and use the platform to store their drinks on, which is something that always bothered me somewhat.
Tube, Bus & Train Return
For the beginning of my return journey back to Birmingham, there were maintenance works on Metropolitan line between Wembley Park and Aldgate. That meant that my journey back to Euston was as follows: Metropolitan line from Uxbridge to Wembley Park, then the Jubilee line from there to Bond Street, THEN the Central from there to Tottenham Court Road and finally a bus to Euston station. I made myself known at the Euston assistance desk and was then told to make my own way to the platform. I waited there and was then met by assistance staff who used a ramp to put me on the train. As per my usual gripes with Virgin Trains, there was a tight corridor and door to navigate to make it to my seat, but there was more space in the wheelchair space than I expected given how insistent they were about knowing my wheelchair dimensions prior to my attempted assistance booking. Once I arrived back at New Street, I was taken off the train pretty immediately and was able to wheel away out of the station and back to university accommodation.
I hope this shows my adventures as a wheelchair user for a weekend in the capital for the fights. Thanks as always to Cage Warriors for putting on a brilliant show and I can’t wait to be back in March for CW113
Photo Credit: Alex Ramzan. Image Description: View from level 2 accessible seating at the 3Arena Dublin. A large crowd is visible and bathed in blue light. They are all watching the MMA action in the cage, which is under spotlight in the middle of the arena. There are also 3 large screens (one to the right, centre and left of the arena) which are showing the in cage action.
Finally, back with another Cage Warriors accessibility review. This time I’ll be reviewing Cage Warriors 153 from April 2023 including the Ryanair flight from Birmingham to Dublin, The Plaza Hotel Tallaght and, of course the accessibility at the 3Arena venue.
(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as a manual wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)
Flight
Booking the flights was simpler than I expected. I booked the flight via the website and then requested special assistance to be taken through the airport and to/from my seat (it’s called option WCHC). I believe I also added in that I was travelling with my own manual wheelchair somewhere on the form.
The first part of flight day was travel TO the airport. It was just a quick 20 train (maybe 20 minutes tops), and I booked the tickets via Trainline and the assistance via the passenger assistance app. Once we arrived at the airport train station, we had to take a little shuttle tram to the actual airport. This was not my favourite bit as I constantly felt like my chair was going to slide across the carriage.
Once we arrived at the airport, we headed down to check in, only to find we didn’t actually have to go there as we had no checked bags and had already checked in online, we didn’t need to be there, and I think even my wheelchair was tagged at a later stage. We were then sent to a special assistance desk where we said we could make our own way to the gate. We were then sent down in a lift, which had dodgy buttons that you had to press in a certain order to get the doors to close, to security. Whilst we didn’t receive any assistance in security at Birmingham Airport, there was a special assistance lane at security which allowed us to get through a little quicker. We then went to find food and the toilets after being told to be at our gate an hour before for assistance.
We did arrive at the gate an hour before but, unsurprisingly, assistance did not. In fact, assistance barely turned up at all and had to be contacted twice to come and assist me onto the plane. We were then taken in an ambulift to the plane. This is a small van that rises to meet the plane door and it was here that I transferred from my chair into the aisle chair to enter the plane. All the messing about with assistance meant that we board last (instead of first like we’re supposed to) and my companion Alex wasn’t even allowed to fold my wheelchair before we left it, so I just had to hope assistance didn’t fold the chair wrong and break it. Boarding last also meant that I had to transfer from the aisle chair to my plane seat with a plane full of passengers watching which was embarrassing.
On arrival at Dublin, it was a fairly simple process through the airport, with a stop at the most spacious accessible toilet I think I’ve ever seen, before we headed out into the queue for a taxi.
We were asked by staff manning the taxi queue whether we needed an accessible taxi, and I said ideally yes but my chair did fold so a standard taxi would suffice if an accessible taxi was going to take a while. We were led to an accessible taxi; I was wheeled up the ramp and had all the proper wheelchair restraints applied to my chair and a belt for myself. It was the safest I think I’ve ever felt travelling in a taxi as a wheelchair user.
Hotel
We stayed at The Plaza Hotel in Tallaght. I simply booked online and added a comment that we would need a wheelchair accessible room or, at the very least, a room on the ground or lower floors. When we arrived at the hotel, we checked in and were directed to the lift and told our keycard would take us to the right floor without pressing any buttons. I did immediately notice that there seemed to be just the one lift, which made me wonder what the contingency plan is for disabled guests if that one lift breaks down. On arrival in the room, we found complimentary water and a smart TV, both nice perks that we weren’t expecting.
Photo Credit: Alex Ramzan. Image Description: Hotel Room at the Plaza Hotel Tallaght. Two beds with white bedding are in the middle of the room with a bedside table bedside each bed. There is a window with the curtains open on the right hand side of the room. In front of the window is a table and high backed chair. There is also a desk and chair next to the bedside table on the right hand side of the room. 3 pieces of art hang on the walls above the bed.
The next morning, we headed into Dublin itself. Whilst the hotel was quite far out, we were close to the Luas system which I found to be very accessible. We bought day tickets on the platform whilst the train approached and then I was able to easily board at the designated accessible boarding point and roll straight into a wheelchair space.
I did find the more we got into town that there were a lot of cobbles but those aren’t a new phenomenon to me. Particularly in the area around the famous Temple Bar (I know, I know tourist, but it HAD to be done). One thing I did notice was the lack of accessible bathrooms in the pubs we were in, but then again accessible toilets in pubs are also an issue at home, so I guess that’s no different.
Venue
And now to my usual content, the 3Arena Dublin venue access review. Getting tickets was actually simpler than expected as I just order access tickets via Ticketmaster and then sent in proof of disability when requested via an email link. On arrival at the venue, we were led straight through the queue and to the accessible seating on level 2. These were good seats for a view of the whole arena. Cage Warriors is all about the atmosphere, so I appreciated being able to view that whole atmosphere. There were also a number of large screens which I knew would be useful when we couldn’t see the details of the action in the cage.
Satisfied with our seats we headed back to the ground floor for the Meet and Greet. Meet and greet complete we headed back up to our seats. A quick word for the accessible toilets were fairly standard and clean, and I believe there was at least one accessible toilet per level.
Once the fights were over, we made our way back to the Luas for the trip back to the hotel. I have to admit I was nervous about this bit as I knew it would be busy. But credit to them, the staff made sure there was space on the Luas for me and I was able to access the wheelchair space for me. Fellow passengers also kept me safe and prevented drunk people from falling onto me. The people of Dublin were as excellent as I expected them to be.
When we finally made it back to the hotel, the hotel staff were able to prebook us an accessible taxi to take us back to the airport the next morning. An accessible taxi DID turn up, I was well secured in the vehicle as I had been on the way to the hotel, and we made it back to the airport for our flight home.
A quick couple notes on the return trip back to Birmingham. Firstly, a note about the return airport assistance from Dublin to Birmingham. It was largely the same (including boarding last unfortunately). Except they DID tag my wheelchair at the check in desks, oh and they lost my wheelchair for about 10 minutes upon landing at Birmingham (It was on the ground next to the plane instead of in the ambulift where it was meant to be). We also bought the train tickets for the trip from the airport back to Birmingham on the day once we made it out of the airport, which means the assistance wasn’t prebooked either. On arrival at New Street, we were left stranded with no assistance, so much so that Alex had to disembark and find assistance himself. But I wouldn’t see any link between not prebooking assistance and it not arriving, because I am left stranded just as often when I DO book assistance
Overall, I really enjoyed my first trip to Dublin and, other than the issues with flying that I was already expecting, found it to be more accessible than expected. I would love to return and in fact PLAN to return in April of this year (2024) for Cage Warriors 170, although I may not be flying this time.
Image Description: Emma sat in her wheelchair in the lift area of the Travelodge London Docklands Central. She is smiling broadly and wearing black jeans, a black Paddy Pimblett t shirt and a cap with a green underside. She has her usual red leather jacket around her waist.
Back with another hotel accessibility review. This time for Travelodge London Docklands Central.
(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)
Booking
The booking was simple and comparable to the standard hotel booking process as I could book an accessible room online just the same as anyone else books a hotel room online.
Travel
Travel to the hotel was a little complicated. The hotel is in Canning Town, so I had to get a train from Birmingham to London Euston, then a bus to Waterloo and then the Jubilee Line to Canning station. The Jubilee line always makes me a little nervous as the suspension on the line means the ‘step free access’ status of stations is hit and miss. However, I recently became aware that some Jubilee Lines stations, including Canning Town, now have bridging ramps to bridge the gap onto the trains. I hope this will reduce the hit and miss nature of the step free access at Jubilee Line stations.
Experience
The first thing I noticed upon entering the hotel was that they asked me to complete a PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) form, which is not something I am asked to do often. My next observation was that there were a number of lifts available so I knew if one lift broke down, I would be able to use a different one. The room was a standard accessible room with the wheelchair accessible wet room with shower seat. There was a good breakfast buffet, but it was quite inaccessible as I couldn’t really reach the food and so had to ask my friend to get breakfast for me. There were also issues entering and exiting the hotel as those parking in the car park often parked across the paths leaving the hotel rather than in actual spaces. When I raised this as an issue, the hotel seemed to make out like they had no record of who was parked there and therefore couldn’t ask people to stop blocking the paths.
Oh, and remember how I was so pleased the hotel had me complete a PEEP form? Yup, useless. When the fire alarm did go off, I went to the assistance point and used the assistance button as instructed but no one actually came to help. So, contrary to what I expected when I filled in the PEEP form, I was simply left to listen to the alarm destroy my hearing and to contemplate whether I was about to die in a fire (I wasn’t told whether the alarm was real or a false alarm).
Given all the issues I’ve mentioned, I stayed at a different hotel during my last visit to Canning Town (where I often stay for UFC events at the O2). I will be reviewing that hotel separately.
When all’s said and done, I expected better accessibility from what, when I first stayed, was a brand-new Travelodge hotel.
Image Description: Emma smiles broadly at the camera. She has messy hair and is wearing glasses and a burgundy hoodie. She is holding up a beer bottle
Yet more clearing the backlog of accessibility reviews from the past year and a bit. This one from December 2021. My first trip back to Cage Warriors for CW132 at York Hall in London.
(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for other experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)
Ticket Buying
Event tickets were purchased by emailing Eventim through their customer service form. They then called me back (using the number I had left on the form) so I could book my access seating. The train tickets to London were booked through Trainline as usual.
Travel
I Initially took my usual train from Birmingham New Street to London Euston. I then took the Tube (I believe it was the Jubilee Line, exiting at Canary Wharf), and switched to the DLR to head to Pudding Mill Lane where my hotel was. From my hotel I had to take a couple buses to York Hall, but I’ll discuss those a bit more in the venue section of the post.
Hotel
Ah the hotel, here’s the interesting part of this blog post. I wanted to make a booking at Snoozebox Olympic Park. Partly because it was close ish to the venue and partly because it seemed like a cool place to stay. After a phone conversation they let me know that they did have accessible rooms and to just book a standard room online and add into the notes about my need for an accessible room, so that’s what I did. Seems simple, right? Oh, so very wrong, this is where things go decidedly south. About 3 days before I was booked to stay, I realised I hadn’t heard anything and sent an enquiry across. It was then that I learned there was some issue (nothing was specified) with ALL the accessible rooms and that there had been a ‘staff consensus’ (without consulting me, the disabled person) to decide I wouldn’t be able to use a standard room. Essentially, with 3 days’ notice, I was a solo female disabled traveller left without a hotel room in the capital. Needless to say, I panicked and took to all the social media to see if any friends had somewhere to stay or knew of hotels nearby with last minute availability. This minor social media ‘campaign’ reached the attention of the hotel management, and I then received a call to say the issue with the accessible rooms had been sorted as a matter of priority and I would be able to stay as originally booked. I think this shows the importance of advocating for yourself and your access requirements, because if I didn’t in this situation I think I may well have been sleeping on the streets that night.
Upon arrival at the hotel, I noticed the rooms were in cabins (the easiest way to describe them) separate from the main hotel lobby. Whilst this was a cool place to stay and did have an accessible bathroom with roll in shower, there was a little ramp to enter the accessible room which was quite steep and made it difficult to get in and out of. This meant that I didn’t feel safe entering or exiting my room without assistance in case my wheelchair tipped up.
Experience & Seating
In terms of the venue, I took one bus about halfway to the venue before getting off that and taking a short walk to switch buses in order to get to the bus stop closest to the venue. From there I rolled up to the standard entrance to the venue, which had a significant flight of steps. From here, staff took me round to a separate side entrance. This also had steps but there was a stairlift (honestly quite an old looking one) which took me up the stairs and I was able to go from there to my seat. To say I’d actually had to go upstairs to get to it, my seat was actually on the ground floor level of the the venue. Accessible seating entailed simply removing a seat from the back row of this ground floor seating in order for me to park my chair in. Whilst I like this approach to access seating as it means I get to be part of the crowd, it does have one major issue as my view is almost completely blocked if those in from of me stand, such as at an exciting finish to a fight. Once the fights were over, I found a member of staff who was able to open a gate and help me down in the stair lift so I could head home.
Image Description: A selfie of Alex and I before the start of the show! With a crowd of seats behind us!
After a quiet 2022, I am back. Warning: These first few posts of the year will likely be out of order and just clearing the backlog of 2022 reviews, because ya gal saw A LOT of venues and shows across this fine country in 2022. This post is also a collaboration with my friend Alex at The VI Critic. Be sure to click the link to check out his content including HIS side of this access review from the viewpoint of someone with a visual impairment. So, here’s my take on the accessibility of Colchester Charter Hall from Cage Warriors 138 back in May 2022.
(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for other experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)
Ticket Buying
The ticket buying experience for this one was a bit of a mission. I initially went straight to Eventim as I know they usually handle Cage Warriors access seating. They advised me to speak to the venue. Having spoken to the venue, they said tickets were nothing to do with them. I was then able to speak with the events manager who was able to open up access seating after some kind of site/team meeting (this was AFTER tickets originally went on sale as far as I remember). THEN it was back to Eventim to book the newly available access seating, and only then were Alex and I able to get the tickets we needed.
Travel
The journey to Colchester was a 2 parter (or 3 if you include the tube). First was a trip from Birmingham New Street to London Euston with Avanti. Once I’d made it TO London it was time to make it ACROSS London to Liverpool Street for the train out to Colchester. This is where things got a little tricky. I headed to Euston Square to catch what I thought would be a simple single train to Liverpool Street, however, it transpired that Euston Square was only accessible from one direction (westbound I believe). Which meant I had to make a more convoluted trip to actually make it to Liverpool Street. This also had the knock-on effect of meaning I missed the initial train to Colchester that I was meant to catch. Luckily, I was just able to catch the next Greater Anglia train. These Greater Anglia trains on the Colchester route are actually one of the first that I’ve seen in the UK with full step free access to the train via a ramp IN the train which extends out. However, I found that at Colchester, even with the ramp extension, there was still a slight gap and drop when I disembarked the train which still made me somewhat nervous to disembark alone.
Hotel
For this particular trip I stayed at the Premier Inn Cowdray Avenue in Colchester. I found this to be a bit of an odd one as it’s one of the few hotels I’ve stayed in which didn’t have a lift to the upper floor at all. But I was able to secure a room on the ground floor. The other odd point here was that I was given an actual physical key to open the door rather than a key card. Whilst I find this more difficult as someone with fine motor control issues, Alex mentioned that a physical key might have plus points over a key card for those with a visual impairment, which is one way I myself didn’t think of in which our access needs could differ. One plus point for this hotel compared to others was the plethora of plug points. This is something I often have an issue with as someone who travels with a lot of tech AND a wheelchair that needs charging. There are rarely enough plugs in the right places to charge everything I need, but that wasn’t a problem at this hotel. I would also like to point out that the staff were very helpful in making sure I had everything I need to be comfortable during my stay. The only issue I had here was the bathroom as this had a sliding door which was very heavy and got stuck on the carpet.
Experience & Seating
The first thing I noticed en route to the venue was the poor-quality pavement between my hotel and said venue. Obviously not the venue’s fault but something to bear in mind, I guess. Once we got to the venue there was somewhat of a queue to get in and a full security check. Then we had our tickets checked and headed into our seats. We were in Row C of Block 2. Whilst this was technically at the back of floor seating, it was a pretty fantastic view for Alex’s first CW event. We were right next to walkout (which means you can spot us on broadcast if you watch back) and Alex even had a gumshield land in his lap! The only issue was it being a little bit of an awkward angle to look at the big screens (something I like to do to see the intricacies of submission attempts that I can’t quite see properly looking at the cage). It was a brilliant event and Alex even asked if he could come to the London event in July (held at Indigo at the O2 which I have already previously reviewed) as soon as we left the event! Being in the back row of the floor also meant leaving the event was quite easy and there wasn’t too much of a crowd to work through.
Travel Home
When it came time to travel home, the travel back into London was a little different than the journey OUT of London. I followed the signs from my hotel to the train station to find that the signs had sent me to the wrong side of the station for wheelchair access to the platform. Thankfully, the staff walked me back out and around the station in the rain so I could access the correct platform. I then hopped on the train to Liverpool Street. From there I had to take the Metropolitan line all the way to Aldgate, stay on that train and wait for it to reverse back so I could get off at Euston Square (see my earlier note about Euston Square only being accessible in one direction). From there it was a quick walk to Euston where I caught the train back to Birmingham.
I hope this accessibility review of trains, a Premier Inn and Colchester Charter Hall was informative. Be sure to check out Alex’s side of the collaboration and keep an eye on my Cage Warriors blog posts for more of my reviews having spent 2022 following the promotion all over the place.
Those of you who’ve been with me for a while will remember my post about my first train trip up to Birmingham for Cage Warriors 98. Now what I didn’t tell you is what happened AFTER we got off the train, between Euston and Uxbridge. Well here’s that story, strap in and prepare because it’s a whole roller coaster ride!
On Train
It all started while we were still on the train back to Euston. I saw on the Metropolitan line twitter that the Euston Square tube station (the station I intended to use to get home) lift was broken. That was fine, as I’d just roll on to Kings Cross, which wasn’t that much further. I then saw on a different twitter account that the Euston Square lift was fixed so I reverted back to the Euston Square plan as I originally wanted to. On arrival at Euston, after my incredibly sarcastic answer to “do you need a ramp?” (I mentioned that in the other post but it’s the sassiest I’ve ever been so I shall forever mention it), we made our way out of Euston. In hindsight, we should have probably waited for clear concrete confirmation that the Euston Square lift was working before heading off, but they say hindsight’s 20/20.
At Euston Square
On arrival at Euston Square, we found out that the lift was actually still broken. So, with that knowledge, I told the staff I needed a taxi to the next accessible station as is the rule in these situations. I was then told this was not protocol, something that I continued to be told even after I’d shown the staff member a screenshot from the TFL website, and so that staff member disappeared to locate their manager, convinced I still wasn’t telling the truth. Granted, at this point, I probably should have just walked on to Kings Cross about 10 minutes away but I was quite annoyed about being told I was incorrect and essentially lying about being entitled to a taxi to the next accessible station, so I decided to stand my ground. Eventually, the manager returned and said yes I was entitled to a taxi (I knew THAT) and we waited like an hour for said taxi.
In taxi and at Kings Cross
Before I hopped in the taxi, I confirmed that TFL were paying for it, and this was confirmed for me, because the taxi company had a contract with TFL for these kind of trips from an inaccessible station to an accessible one. However, when we got to Kings Cross, the driver requested payment from us, despite already being paid by TFL as far as we knew, and wouldn’t let us move away until we gave him money. So I had to pay £10 I knew I didn’t owe him personally, to be able to go get the train.
At Kings Cross – Metropolitan and Piccadilly line
Once we were actually inside Kings Cross, we first tried to use the Metropolitan line, but that was out of service between Kings Cross and Uxbridge, so we had to use the Piccadilly line for the same route. This meant my friends phone died and she wouldn’t be able to tap out on exit despite having tapped in on her phone.
On Piccadilly line
When we finally get on the Piccadilly line, I was aware my friend and I were exiting at 2 different destinations, However, that was fine, even though I was in my manual wheelchair, because I knew I was going straight to my destination on a single train and had someone to meet me there. EXCEPT, it didn’t happen like that, the train terminated early at an inaccessible station, even though TFL are not supposed to terminate trains early at inaccessible stations when they KNOW they have a wheelchair user onboard! Luckily, I was able to contact my friend Nikki who was waiting for me at Uxbridge so she could let them know and have them coordinate the situation with the station I was at on my behalf (shout out Uxbridge station for always being super helpful with access in my 4 years living there, and particularly in this situation). I was then then taken off the terminated train and put back on a different train going all the way to Uxbridge, and EVENTUALLY made it back to Uxbridge about 4 HOURS after I left Euston
Hopefully, this gives some insight into what is probably the worst inaccessibility debacle of my time in London
Mooooore access reviews. This time Resorts World Arena in Birmingham for Cage Warriors 109. I know I’ve reviewed this venue before when it was Genting Arena, but this time I was SOLO. So, what’s the difference attending an event solo at this venue vs accompanied? Read on to find out.
(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)
Ticket Buying
This time around, the first part of the process was to apply for the Access Card specifically for Birmingham venues from the Resorts World Arena website. While I was waiting for that to be confirmed I was able to ring the venue and have tickets held for a specific number of days while waiting for the Access Card confirmation. So, in all honesty, once the Access Card was sorted it was basically the usual process of buying tickets through a phone line.
Travel
Travel wise, I took a train from Birmingham New Street to Birmingham International with Virgin Trains which let me tell you was a MISSION. There was an issue with booking assistance in that they wanted my wheelchair dimensions before agreeing to book the ramp for my assistance. This is not something I have been asked for before and annoyed me. I found, however that if you book via another company’s assistance line (Cross Country in my case), they’ll sort your assistance with no issue, gotta love a loophole! I arrived at Birmingham New Street 20 minutes before departure and was put straight on the train. I was then taken straight off at Birmingham International and followed the sign posts through the station to the arena. On the way back, it was my first time taking a train there and back from a Cage Warriors venue so I didn’t know if I’d make the last train. With that in mind, I decided to leave straight after the main event KO, regardless of how much I wanted to stay for celebrations. I made it back in the station 15 minutes before my train and managed to get on an earlier train than I’d booked even with issues on the line, there was then a minor wait at Birmingham New Street before I was able to disembark the train.
Experience & Seating
Firstly, what an absolutely class show by Cage Warriors as per usual, it honestly felt like going home after 6 months not being at a CW live show, I know that sounds a bit dramatic but if you read this thankyou note I’ve written to Cage Warriors you’ll understand why I say it. As for the venue, there are accessible toilets which can be accessed by radar key which was a welcome sight as someone who likes not having to ask for access. I was basically cage side, or as close as fan can get, same as the previous visit. The only way that going solo is different to going with someone is that there’s no one to bounce that fight night energy off of (aka no one to contain me while I lose myself in fight night) or to discuss fights with.
Cage Warriors, all the love as always, see you in London! I hope this is an insight into my solo fight night adventures!
A hotel accessibility review of my stay in Clayton Hotel Cardiff for Cage Warriors 104 back in April!
(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this hotel as a manual wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)
Booking
This booking process began with me ringing the hotel as I couldn’t find how to book an accessible room online and wondered if I was missing something. I was then told that all the accessible rooms were booked for the period of my stay, so I booked a standard room, knowing that was feasible with my manual wheelchair, and was told my booking would be moved to an accessible room if one became available.
Travel
The travel part was relatively simple as the hotel was a 15 minute or so walk from Cardiff Kingsway coach drop-off point once we’d arrived in Cardiff on Megabus from London.
Experience
The experience started before we’d even arrived at the hotel as they (the hotel) rang while I was on the coach to Cardiff to say that there was an accessible room available and that my booking had been moved to that room. When we checked in, the hotel completed a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) which, as the name suggests, is a document detailing how I’ll be evacuated in case of an emergency such as a fire. This was the first time I’d had a PEEP done whilst staying at hotel that I know of and it was certainly reassuring to know it had been done. The room itself was on the 3rd floor which, as far as I remember was the first floor which actually had guest rooms. There was large wet room bathroom which was a welcome change as not many accessible hotel rooms, from my experience, actually have wet room bathrooms, There was also an automatic door button to get into and out of the room which, unfortunately, didn’t work. That was disappointing but not a major problem for me as I had someone with me to help me in and out of the room, but I’m aware it could be a problem for someone else.
Overall, this is one of the most accessible hotels I’ve stayed in and I would definitely stay here again if I visited Cardiff again.
Invincible Woman on Wheels 