from the official Lets go out Newsletter Let’s Go Out’ is a regular newsletter to inform people with sight loss about accessible activities and events happening around London. by Courtney Nugent – Thomas Pocklington Trust
Group Visit to the British Museum
June 1st 2017.
Meet up at Euston station, 1.45pm to join with trained volunteer guides who will assist a group tour of the British Museum!
Details via Kirsty Palmer on 07964 534681
EXHIBITIONS
Art through words
National Gallery
Each last Saturday in the month (except for December) the National Gallery holds Art Through Words, a free description session for blind and partially sighted people.
Next session: Reni: ‘Susannah and the Elders’
Date: Saturday 24 June
Address: The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
Nearest tube: Leicester Square or Charing Cross
Meet at the Sainsbury Wing Information Desk just before 11.30am and you will be taken to the room where the session will be held. Visitors are given a detailed verbal description of the painting after which the group will visit the gallery to where the painting hangs.
Art Through Words is free but visitors are advised to book in advance to guarantee a place.
Tel: 0207 747 2864
Email: education@ng-london.org.uk
Canaletto & the Art of Venice
Sensory and verbal description event
Date: Tuesday 20 June 2017
Time: 18:30 – 20:30
Price £5.50.
Booking essential
This event for blind and partially-sighted visitors will introduce the Canaletto & the Art of Venice exhibition through the scents of Venice. Taking inspiration from key pieces in the exhibition this verbal description event will explore the smells and stories of Canaletto’s Venice. From the canals of Venice to beautiful 18th-century perfumes, this tour will provide a unique sensory way to discover the exhibition.
Tel: 020 7766 7301
Address: The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, SW1A 1AA.
Nearest Tubes: St James’s Park/Green Park/Victoria.
Theatre
L’elisir d’amore
Date: 27th May 2017 – Thursday 22nd June 2017
Time: 7:30 pm
An audio introduction is available 15 minutes before the start of each performance.
Laurent Pelly’s sunny production of Donizetti’s joyous opera returns with two world-class casts, led by Pretty Yende and Rolando Villazón, and Aleksandra Kurzak and Roberto Alagna.
For booking: Please contact the Box Office on
020 7304 4000 (boxoffice.access@roh.org.uk to discuss your visit. Royal Opera House encourages all disabled customers to join the Royal Opera House Access Membership as this will help us meet your accessibility requirements.
Address:
Royal Opera House
Bow Street London
WC2E 9DD
Closest Tube: Covent Garden
Alice’s Adventures Underground
Dates: Thursday 1 June 2017 – Saturday 23rd September 2017.
Time: 5:45 pm.
Touch Tours: 4:30pm 4 & 18 July 2017
Ticket price: £25 – £71.50 (complementary ticket for companion)
Olivier award nominated company Les Enfants Terrible return with Alice’s Adventures Underground at The Vaults under Waterloo station.
….Tumble down the rabbit hole and make a series of choices in a theatrical adventure like no other, with more to explore than ever before!
Box Office 0844 248 1125
Address:
The Vaults, Vaulty Towers, 34 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RG
Closest Tube: Southwark, Waterloo and/or Borough.
Alice’s Adventures Underground is a multi-sensory treat for visitors with visual impairments. From the 1st June they will be offering pre-show introductory audio notes and an in-ear audio description to enhance your experience of Wonderland. The audio description will be provided by Vocal Eyes.
For your safety they do require a carer to accompany you through Wonderland (as above, their ticket is complimentary).
All visual impairment tickets must be booked in 48 hours’ in advance to ensure that they can provide adequate support and are subject to availability.
Life of Galileo
6 May 2017 – 1 Jul 2017
Date: Audio described performance Wednesday 7 June 2017
Time: 2:30 pm
Touch Tour: TBC
Ticket Price: From £10
Galileo makes an explosive discovery about the universe with his new invention – the telescope.
Brecht’s masterpiece about science, power and belief is a play for our times.
Please note this is an audio described performance at an independent venue. Please do double check with the venue for the availability of introductory notes and touch tours when booking.
Address:
Young Vic, The Cut, Waterloo, London SE1 8LZ
Closest tube: Waterloo/Southwark
The Who’s Tommy – Musical
Date: Wednesday 7 – Saturday 17 June 2017.
Time: 7:30 pm
Touch Tour: Saturday 10 June 1:30 pm, Wednesday 14 June 6:30 pm, Friday 16 June 6:30pm
Based on the iconic 1969 concept album, The Who’s Tommy is the multi-award winning epic rock musical written by Pete Townshend.
With a cast of 22 performers and musicians, this is the story of the pinball-playing boy which has entertained and intrigued audiences for more than 40 years. A one-of a-kind theatrical event!
Tommy will feature a creative use of audio description, captioning and British Sign Language interpretation which will enhance the experience for everyone. For more information, visit www.rampsonthemoon.co.uk
Please note that this production explores some adult themes.
Places for the touch tours are free with your ticket. If you would like to book for a Touch Tour, please let box office staff know when booking.
Please note this is an audio described performance at an independent venue. Please do double check with the venue for the availability of introductory notes and touch tours when booking.
Box Office 020 8534 0310
Box Office tickets@stratfordeast.com
Address: Theatre Royal Stratford East
Gerry Raffles Square
Stratford, London, E15 1BN
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Until 17th June 2017
Audio Described Show: Saturday 10 June 2017
Touch Tour: TBC
Ticket Price: £20 reduced from £40.
Chicago! A city of jazz and gangsters, prohibition and poverty. Amongst the murk of the Great Depression, there’s room for a small time crook like Arturo Ui to make a name for himself. Brecht’s satirical masterpiece about the rise of a demagogue will be given a new adaptation by multi award-winning playwright, Bruce Norris. Lenny Henry makes his Donmar debut as Arturo Ui.
Box Office 020 7845 8573
Address:
Donmar Warehouse
41 Earlham Street London WC2H 9LX
Closest tubes: Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road.
Woyzeck
Audio described performance: Monday 12 June 2017.
Time: 7:00 pm
Touch Tour: 5:30 pm
Ticket Price: £21.00 (access ticket price).
It’s 1980s Berlin. The Cold War rages. On the border between East and West, a young soldier and the love of his life are desperately trying to build a better future for their child. But the cost of escaping poverty is high in this searing tale of the people society leaves behind.
Please note this is an audio described performance at an independent venue. Please do double check with the venue for the availability of introductory notes and touch tours when booking.
Box Office 0844 871 7628
Address:
Old Vic Theatre
The Cut, London SE1 8NB
Closest tube: Southwark.
Jane Eyre
12-17th June 2017.
Audio described show: Friday 16 June 2017
Time: 7:15 pm
Touch Tour: 5:45 pm
Ticket Price: From £15 plus booking fee
This innovative re-imagining of Charlotte Bronte’s masterpiece is a collaboration between the National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic and is directed by Sally Cookson.
The classic story of the trailblazing Jane is as inspiring as ever. This bold and dynamic production uncovers one woman’s fight for freedom and fulfilment on her own terms. Jane Eyre’s spirited heroine faces life’s obstacles head-on, surviving poverty, injustice and the discovery of bitter betrayal before taking the ultimate decision to follow her heart.
‘Captures the beating heart of the novel. And then some.’ – Mail on Sunday
‘Aflame with passion. A picture of exultant feminism.’ – The Observer
‘Original, engaging and unexpectedly funny. Full of intelligent detail.’ – Daily Telegraph
Box Office 0844 871 7677
Address:
Richmond Theatre, The Green, Richmond, TW9 1QJ
0844 871 7651
Closest Tube: Richmond
A View from the Bridge
Audio-described performance: Sunday 25 June 2017
Time: 9:00 pm
Ticket price: £15, £12 concessions (+ booking fee)
Touch Tour: TBC
Audio described by VocalEyes
A story of dock workers and illegal migrants in search of the American dream is given new resonance against the backdrop of the 21st century London riverscape. This is the UK première of acclaimed company De Roovers’ Belgian adaptation, in a new English translation commissioned by GDIF.
De Roovers, a theatre ensemble that works without a director. Starting with challenging textual material, the actors make and perform theatre that, through compelling text, innovative approaches to design and an urgent performance style, examines issues that are socially relevant.
Supported by Greenwich Peninsula.
Box Office 020 8305 5025
Don Giovanni
Audio described performance: Sunday 18 June 2017
Time: 2:00 pm
Touch Tour: 1:00 pm
Ticket Price: £18 – £77
Infatuation, comedy, suspense and a devious womaniser like no other; it can only be the infamous Don Giovanni!
With Mozart’s dazzling score, seductive arias, comedic jolts and irresistible drama, the audience is torn between love and hate for this complicated character, who despite his faults, charms you with every note.
Box Office 0300 999 1000
Address:
Opera Holland Park
Holland Park, London W8
0300 999 1000
Closest tube: Kensington/Holland Park/High Street Kensington.
On The Town
Date: Saturday 24 June 2017
Time: 2:15 pm
Touch Tour: TBC
Ticket Price £25
With an incredible Bernstein score, Olivier Award-winner Drew McOnie – celebrated for his choreography on Jesus Christ Superstar – directs and choreographs On The Town, our biggest dance musical yet.
Box Office 0844 826 4242
Address:
Open Air Theatre,
Inner Circle,
Regent’s Park,
London NW1 4NU
0844 826 4242.
Closest tube: Regent’s Park
My Country, a work in progress
Date: Thursday 29 June 2017
Time: 2:30 pm
Touch Tour: 1:30 pm
Ticket Price: From £12 (concessions available)
Britannia calls a meeting, to listen to her people. Caledonia, Cymru, East Midlands, North East, Northern Ireland and the South West bring the voices of their regions. The debate is passionate, the darts are sharp, stereotypes nailed and opinions divided. Can there ever be a United Kingdom?
Please note this is an audio described performance at an independent venue. Every effort has been made to ensure that these details are correct; however, please do double check with the venue for the availability of introductory notes and touch tours when booking.
Box Office 020 8534 0310
Theatre Royal Stratford East
Gerry Raffles SquareStratfordLondonE15 1BN
Activity:
New Season Spitalfields Free Tea Dances with the Covent Garden Dance Orchestra
The Fabulous Tea Dances London Club (For All Ages)
Wednesdays, from April 26, 2017
12:15 PM
Leon Restaurant – Spitalfields
3 Crispin Place, London, E1 6DW.
Garden tour
Sensory and verbal description event
• Thursday, 14 Sep 2017
• 9:30 Sensory Garden tour;
12:00 entry into State Rooms
• £19.50 – access companion free by calling
+44 (0)303 123 7323
• Booking essential.
Enjoy an event for blind and partially-sighted visitors where you will explore the glorious garden of Buckingham Palace through scents and touch. Guided with the help of a gardener who cares for this remarkable royal garden, this verbal description tour will include the history and current role of the garden as well as the plants and flowers grown, in a unique sensory tour.
Your ticket also includes a visit to the Buckingham Palace Summer Opening after the event from 12:00, where a verbal description guide is available.
London Walks.
Run-walks every morning afternoon and evening.
Each walk is guided with a tour guide. They last 2 hours and start and finish at a tube station.
The full cost is £10 but sighted guides go free. The advantage is that booking for each walk is not required you can just turn up.
Website: www.walks.com<http://www.walks.com>
Telephone: 020 76243978
Email: London@walks.com<mailto:London@walks.com>
SPORT
Athletics Open 2017
Athletics Open 2017 Festival and Competition will be held on 17th June 2016.
Why not join in the events with Metro Blind Sports on the 17 June! It’s a fantastic day and not to be missed! Venue: Mile End Stadium, Rhodeswell Road, London, E14 7TW,
Time: 10.00am to 5.00pm.
DOWNLOAD: Entry Form 2017 Closing date is Thurs 1st June.
To Enter: Please complete and return the form downloadable below by email to ian.francis@metroblindsport.org alternatively return by post to Ian Francis, 36 Copsleigh Avenue, Salfords, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 5BG.
Bowls News and Events
World Blind Bowls Championships 2017
Our Metro Blind Sport member Maureen Ryan did very well in the World Blind Bowls Championships 2017 and came home with 2 bronze medals. Steve Simmons related to Eric our bowls sports lead that he won his first 2 games, but unfortunately lost all the other games so did not get a medal. You can read The full report on the event on our website: http://bit.ly/2oijmlF
Upcoming VI Bowls Tournaments
• 4-7 May Weston-Super-Mare Tournament
• 17 June Metro Pairs Ravenscourt Park
• 25-30 June VIBE Nationals Leamington Spa
For more info, Contact: ericgal@blueyonder.co.uk or call 0208 985 6245
Aquabats Sports and Social Club
Is a mixed ability club, meeting in and around London for a variety of sports and social events, as follows:
Indoor swimming
at Porchester Leisure Centre, 7.00pm every Tuesday
Indoor swimming is available via London Sports club for the Blind at the Porchester Leisure Centre (nearest tube Royal Oak Hammersmith and City Line) commencing at 7.00pm every Tuesday at £10 per annum membership and £1 for each swim
Email: keithdejersey@btinternet.com / david.bamber@bnc.oxon.org/ Arthur.Payne@beis.gov.uk
Visit: www.aquabats-social.org
Goalball – great fun, good exercise, and social!
CROYSUTT WARRIORS
We are a friendly group who play Goalball seriously for fun! We would welcome new players of any age or ability whether novice or Expert why not give us and Goalball a try.
We play once a fortnight in Croydon
Next Sessions: Time: 5:30pm – 7:00pm
· 5th and 18th June 2017
Venue: The Sir Philip Game Centre, 38 Moreland Avenue, Croydon, CR0 6EA
For more information, Please contact Robin Faulkner Tel 07889648925 or email sportexercisedance@hotmail.com See us on Facebook http://bit.ly/2iBib12 at Croysutt Warriors Goalball
SWIMMING
Aspire Centre, Southfields, Wandsworth:
Do you want to go swimming with your child in a disability friendly environment? This brand new scheme enables your family to go swimming in a friendly, comfortable and controlled environment. These sessions aimed at those with a disabled child in the family. All impairment groups are encouraged to attend!
Session Details:
When: Every Sunday
Time: 14:00-15:00
Cost: £100 for 10 sessions
Where: Aspire Centre, Southfields, SW18 5JU
DISABILITY FOOTBALL
Brand NEW disability Football sessions led by experienced coaches from AFC Wimbledon to ensure your child has fun, learns some new skills and gets active!
Open for children between the ages of 8-15 years. All disabilities welcome.
Session Details:
When: Every Sunday
Time: 13:30 14:30
Where: The Aspire Centre, Southfields, SW18 5JU
Cost: £3.00 per session
To book any of these sessions or for more information contact Matt Doherty Phone: 0208 871 6857
Email: mdoherty@wandsworth.gov.uk
SENSE activities:
Ice Skating
Ever tried it ? Ever wanted to? These sessions are pretty much accessible to anyone with a sensory impairment.
As a result of our recent ice skating taster sessions, which had amazing turn out, we are now going to be running more!
Cost Free, family and friends welcome
Time: 12:15pm – 1:15pm
Dates: June – 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
July – 5th, 12th
There will be experienced skaters on the ice ready and willing to lend a hand if you need it or to push you around in a wheelchair*, so even if you’re a bit unsteady on your feet, there is no need to miss out!
Address: Sobell Leisure Centre,
Hornsey Rd, Islington, London, N7 7NY
Nearest tubes:
Holloway Road/Finsbury Park.
To book onto the activity, Tel: 020 7609 2166.
Flamenco Dancing
Venue:
Greenwich West Community and Arts Centre,
Address:
141 Greenwich High Road, London SE10 8JA
Meet at Greenwich Station.
Friday 2nd June, 6-7pm
Friday 7th July, 12-1pm
Thursday 3rd August, 11am-12pm
Contact: Jessica Beal 07866 926668.
Nearest tube: Greenwich DLR.
