After the Christmas crush, there is the New Year bash! I went to spend some time with a friend down in Surrey. Travel is never certain at the holiday season and luckily there were no cancellations.
However there was a plane crash and there were delays. I was seated in my train compartment when there was an announcement that the driver had not arrived and when he did arrive, he had to have a 40 minutes dinner break. Other passengers left to take other trains but I was stuck on the train!
In my visits to London, I often combine work. This is no different, I looked up some restaurant access. Here is a guide to restaurants from this and previous restaurant visits.
To add to the list, a decent accessible Fuller’s pub between Euston and King’s Cross, St Pancras station, opposite the British Library.
the Euston Flyer, 83-87 Euston Road, NW1 2RA (Level access, reasonably priced British food and good choice of beers, accessible toilet)
Indian restaurants -
Bangalore Express 103-107 Waterloo Road SE1 8UL, tel: 02070210886 (level access, main course for £4, accessible toilet),
dosa meal
Hason Raja, 84 Southampton Row Holborn London – WC1B 4BB, tel:020 7242 3377 (level access, buffet lunches, no accessible toilet).
Pauline at the Hason Raja
Chinese restaturants -
Wong Kei 41-43 Wardour Street, London, W1D 6PY (this restaurant has its own wikipedia entry and 2 Facebook groups) (Level entrance, spacious, accessible toilet available but very cramped. Despite reports to the contrary, disabled diners are well recieved. Famed for its fast service and cheap food, only cash accepted, no cards).
Telephone: 0871 3328296
Top of the Town 37-38 Gerrard Street, London W1D 5QB
Telephone 02077346910
(according to their business card they have disabled facilities, access to be verified)
Information about accessible parking is given on Westminster City website.
I also met up with my deaf friend Pauline. We have occasionally had meals to catch up on news with each other. We managed to find accessible restaurants (accessible here to mean having wheelchair accessibility and being reasonably quiet in order for us to communicate properly since I do not have Sign Language skills) most times. Its about time I start! I’ve had looked at a few courses near me.
For Pauline, as a deaf traveler, when staying in hotels she requires subtitles on television, a deaf alerter in case of fire or emergency, and a minicom in order to be able to make and receive telephone calls. She would also like to be able to contact reception through text (eg, for ordering room service or reporting problems) and would like to have some visual way of knowing when there is someone knocking her room door. On public transport she appreciates electronic visual information boards, particularly at Rail & Bus stations and on buses, trams and trains. Movies on long-haul flights should have subtitles and it’s always good to meet staff who have Deaf Awareness and some Sign Language skills.
Transport for London Travel tools can be found at the TFL website.
