Trainspotting: Highbury and Islington Station and environs

Highbury and Islington Station is a local hub with London Overground, London Underground and a National Rail link from Moorgate to Finsbury Park and beyond.  I have used this station for connections to the East London section, which was restored relatively recently, though Canonbury is more convenient for Eastbound traffic.  For westbound traffic, the chances of a platform change are lower here.

London Overground trains at Highbury & Islington station

20 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

Coming from the West on the Overground, there are 3 sets of 9 steps which will take you to the ticket hall level.  Turning right there are lifts and stairs.  For the return to Richmond or a Whitechapel and South London link, there are only 3 sets of 8 steps and a ramp. At this point there are connections “indicated” to the subway level lines of the Victoria Line and the National Rail link.  This station could be another useful hub to meet friends and offers a safe environment for independent travel. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

Below signage for connections at Highbury & Islington station

20 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

I was photographed below some signs and station staff are usually around or fellow passengers if you get lost.  I got lost first time round, but on subsequent trips have become more familiar with connections here.  I have not yet tried the lower ground connections since I lost my sight.  The ticket hall is still in reconstruction, though with a sharp right and left through the ticket gates, you can reach the exit for Highbury Corner. 

I went with Stephen, who uses an architect’s and designer’s eye to observe and note objects of interest.  Stephen spotted part of an original piece of railway architecture hidden in development in an otherwise example of British brutalism including the Post Office buildings at their worst.  This block more or less hides Highbury Corner from view but Stephen spotted an unused Highbury Station entrance as well. 

Outside Highbury & Islington station

20 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

Old Highbury station entrance, near Highbury & Islington station

20 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

Highbury Corner is a well known London transport feature and as a one way system it can be crossed by a series of crossings.  We headed for Canonbury Road and crossed several streets to get there.  There is a bus stand on the left hand side with the stop further down.  It is one stop to Canonbury Square with a side entrance to the Estorick Collection on the left hand side.  You can read about my visit to the Estorick Collection here: http://profwhitestick.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/estorick-collection-of-modern-italian.html

Outside the Estorick Gallery. Highbury, London

20 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

The sculpted metal gates are fascinating to touch.  Turning right on to Canonbury Lane one reaches Upper Street with major Islington landmarks.  The Town Hall and Union Chapel can be made out, and although the latter is set aside the tower is a major landmark. 

Union Chapel rising out of Prof Whitestick's hat

20 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

Union Chapel is a church which was started in late 18^th Century but has been remodelled through the 19^th Century.  It holds about 2000 people and offers an uninterrupted view of the pulpit.  It is a popular venue for concerts and gigs.  http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/

I enjoyed walking up and down Upper Street, with its many restaurants, cafes and shops.  It seemed less hectic at this point than some North London main roads, probably on account of trees and no noticeable large retail outlets.  Walking up Upper Street we got back to Highbury Corner and into the station for the return to the North West postcode area.  

NB Any comments on interchanges are welcome.

Camden Arts Centre: Finchley Road Stations

Camden Arts Centre is always worth a visit.  The staff are very friendly and approachable.  I had not been for a few months since my hip problems and at the desk I was filled in about some developments concerning accessibility.

Near the café there is a flat screen and audio system and as the Zoe Leonard photo and Observation Point was in its last days,it was interesting to listen to the artist.  The other exhibition featured the Artist in Residence, Rachel Champion from New York, with whom we later had a chance to chat.

Jackie and I went upstairs and into a newly constructed darker corridor to a room above Finchley Road.  After our eyes had adjusted it became apparent to Jackie that there was a Camera Obscura installation in the room and the other side of Finchley Road was screened on the opposite wall and ceiling upside down.

I mentioned to Jackie about the special upside down glasses one can wear and eventually the brain inverts the image the right way round (it does this to start with) Experiments had been done in the 1960s and I remember people on a BBC TV programme wearing these glasses for some time.  At some point the glasses were removed and some people had difficulty getting back to normal.  I started on Diana Ross-Upside Down and Jackie countered with Lionel Richie-Dancing on the Ceiling!


We then went to a large room with perhaps 10 photographs mounted with a black border on a white wall. I am afraid I did not get this. I commented that photographs of the sun were an area of special interest and mentioned the Transit of Venus. I felt rather as if I were in a snow blizzard and look lost in this photograph which Jackie took.

Lost for words

Zoe Leonard exhibition

Camden Arts Centre, London

23 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

Not impressed, we moved to the 3^rd room which had piles of postcards of Niagara Falls arranged in what appeared in an obsessive manner.  I could make out 2 cards on a wall with Observation Point.  Was this a hint of a telescope for which you drop a quarter/coin and you get a stereoscope image?  Were the pile of postcards real or a ruse?  We were both underwhelmed and moved on.

Niagara Falls postcards

At this point, Jo from the Camden Arts Centre joined us and filled me in on an exhibition I had missed.  We also chatted about recent exhibitions at the centre.  Jackie and I had both visited the Claymation exhibition by Swedish artist and had not liked it.  Jackie thought the violence was contrived and I thought a dark side of Scandinavian post-feminism seemed to be popular with crime fiction (detective stories) Jo, however, had enjoyed this exhibition and having enjoyed our comments found me the file notes of the exhibition that I had missed – Launching Rockets Never Gets Old by Raphael Hefti.

Next, we entered a room where Rachel Champion was working as Artist in Residence.  This was a pleasant surprise.  The work is called Ornithopter Garden.  It had lots of colours and smells from the vegetation (mainly grasses) and an interesting corner piece which to my eyes looked like the Island of Staffa (Fingal's Cave) decorated with turf on the horizontal sections.

with Rachel Champion

Ornithopter Garden

Camden Arts Centre, London

23 June 2012

©Prof Whitestick

Asking for permission to take photographs, Jo said that we could take some of Zoe Leonard work and she would check with Rachel Champion for her consent. We all chatted about the installation and I asked about the rigidity of the corner installation.   Rachel described how she had climbed up the installation to fit in the top section.  It reminded me of the Boetti use of building trade pieces of pipes, tiles, lights which I described in my post Boetti and Kusama at Tate Modern.  However, Rachel had not seen that exhibition.

We also spoke with Jo about touching policy in some exhibitions.  Sometimes friends of mine have been ticked off by guards at exhibitions when they exaggeratingly point out items in the show.    Often the public are discouraged from making contact with some artworks though exceptions are made for visually impaired people.  Jo spoke about access to installations for some people.  I had enjoyed playing the drums and percussion at the Haroon Mirza exhibition ( http://profwhitestick.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/culture-on-london-overground.html) but Jo said that some had gone too far with their “interactions”.

To round off our visit, we had coffee and cake in the café.  I have always enjoyed visiting the centre whether for talks by artists, book launches or just to drop in for a coffee.  There are lifts, accessible toilets and a bookshop which has a wide selection of material.  The centre also runs courses, though I have not tried any of them so cannot vouch for their suitability.  A series of file notes on individual exhibitions are for sale at £1, which I usually buy and have read to me.


Train Connections to Underground and Overground

In this area there are two railway stations.  Finchley Road is on the Jubilee Line and Metropolitan Line and has convenient changes.  However, mind the gap, especially on the new Metropolitan Line carriages.  While some stations such as Euston Square have flush and step free access to the train from platform, others, like Finchley Road, which bend, can have a surprisingly wide gap.  You need to check the gap with a cane.

Once outside, turn left and staying on the left side of Finchley Road you may find a bus stop and take any double-decker red bus for 2 stops or walk. After the other station (Finchley Road and Frognal) cross a side road with a light-controlled crossing and then facing right there is another crossing across a very busy Finchley Road (there is an island in the middle). Camden Arts Centre is at the corner.

London Overground at Finchley Road & Frognal

23 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

Finchley Road and Frognal is a London Overground station which is useful for the Arts Centre and also for getting to Hampstead Heath, as the tunnel starts here and finishes at the next station. Mobile phones conk out here and there is some peace and quiet.

Getting off at Finchley Road there are 3 sets of 11 steps up to the Finchley Road exit.  There is a touch pad for access with a pass or Oyster card. Make sure your companion touches the yellow pad or they may be overcharged at another ticket gate.  

Jackie and I used the London Overground to get to Hampstead Heath station for Keats House and we went back to West Hampstead and on our separate ways.  I am continuing useful hubs and stations for meeting points where one can meet friends half way and go on from there.  Finchley Road on the London Underground is useful as is West Hampstead.  Both have useful bus connections though as unmoveable as train stations are, bus stops are sadly subject to suspension, roadworks and diversions.

Buses for Camden Arts Centre: 13, 82 and 113.

Zoe Leonard exhibition

Camden Arts Centre, London

23 June 2012

©Prof Whitestick

John Keats, Visit to Keats House Hampstead - Hampstead Heath Station & Environs

*** update 23 June 2012

I returned to Keats House with my friend Jackie and we went around the house visiting kitchen and going over some of the items on display.  Jackie set up a digital camera for me and my first posted photograph is now on this post!

Keats House

(first photograph taken personally by Prof Whitestick)

Hampstead, London

23 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

*** end of update 


 
19^th June 2012

Something had inspired me to visit Keats House, in Hampstead.  (http://www.keatshouse.cityoflondon.gov.uk/)

The nearest station is Hampstead Heath on London Overground.   Buses C11, 46 and 168 stop for Royal Free Hospital and a walk along South End Green past a parade of shops, cafes and restaurants will lead you to the road for Keats House and Hampstead Heath itself.

John Keats lived in this house for less than 2 years though wrote his major works of poetry here.  Although he lived in part of the house, the whole house has many Keats connections.  Hampstead was a village in those days and had alleged health giving attributes.  Tuberculosis was rife and consumption or “decline” was a common cause of death.  It seemed to run in Keats family.  He had been trained as an apothecary surgeon and when he identified drops of blood which he had coughed up as “arterial blood” he knew he was not long for the world.  It was common for sufferers to move to warmer climes and Keats moved to Italy.  He died aged 25 in Rome, where he is buried.

On arriving at the house, I asked if there were any facilities or special arrangements for visually impaired people and Holly was called and showed me round the house.  Holly had a cardboard model of the house which I could handle to give me an idea of the external arrangement of floors, windows and a canopy at the main door which is at the rear. 

The house was built in 1815 though an extension had been added later in the 19^th Century.  Many changes had altered the house and though many of the original objects referred to by Keats and his friends are on show, some period pieces have been added to fill out the house as a whole. 

Keats was slight of stature and a bust of him is fitted at his correct height.  His fiancée Fanny Brawne was said to be the same height and there are references to the pair in the house with friends such as Joseph Severn the painter, Leigh Hunt and Charles Wentworth Dilke. 

There are many pieces in the showcases and Holly described a Shakespeare Folio Edition which had been owned by Keats.  In a sitting room with portraits there is both a life mask of Keats and a death mask.  I was telling Holly about the life masks of Henry Wellcome (I hit his moustache), Van Gogh’s doctor (I hit his forehead) and the bust of Sir Edward Elgar produced at the National Portrait Gallery (I hit his nose).  At this point Holly said that they had a copy of the life mask of John Keats and would I like to try it.  Placing the life mask horizontally in one hand I touched Keats on the nose!

There are many portraits of Keats using the life mask.  Joseph Severn painted one with a nightingale silhouetted on a branch in front of a moon in Hampstead Heath. 

Detail from "Keats Listening to the Nightingale on Hampstead Heath"

by Jospeh Severn

c1845

© Prof Whitestick

Some letters say that Keats was inspired to write his Ode to a Nightingale in the garden.  There are also many profiles and silhouettes of Keats, who became famous after his death.  His poetry became part of the Byron, Keats and Shelley list of romantic poets which has stayed in fashion. 

We went upstairs into some of the bedrooms and other rooms associated with Keats.  Downstairs it is possible to visit the kitchens.  The house is entered from the rear though in Keats’s time it comprised 2 houses.  The connecting doors were often open and there are reports of cats being able to wander from one house to the other and often the inhabitants would take tea in the other house.  Keats would have entered from the side where the extension was built. 

Main entrance, Keats House

Hampstead, London

23 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

There is a wide selection of postcards on sale and a very attractive illustrated guide book to both the house and on Keats himself.  Books of Keats's poetry are also available.  I bougtht two: Keats at Wentworth Place - poems written December 1818 to September 1820, published by London Borough of Camden Libraries and Arts Department; and a Dover Thrift Edition of Lyric Poems.

There is a concession admission for £3 and the ticket is valid for a year.  The house sits back from the road in an attractive garden with a path encircling the house. 

On leaving, I realised that what had inspired me was A BBC Radio4 “Pick of the Week” featuring a series by Richard Holloway on ‘Honest Doubt’ and on which some Keats had been read out.

Many thanks to Holly for a very pleasant visit, and for finding interesting objects for me to handle as well as describing the contents and pictures. 

London Overground Orientation for Hampstead Heath

The station is announced with “Alight here for Royal Free Hospital” and, with 28 steps to climb from platform plus another 3 for access to the gates, it is quite a climb.    After the ticket barrier, an exit straight ahead provides a ramp (turn left) and this will allow you to align the fruit stall with the tactile paving to a zebra crossing. Once over, turn right for Keats House. For the Royal Free Hospital turn left.  After crossing a side street and keeping a parade of shops (WH Smith) turn left at corner. Keats House is a few hundred yards along the road on the left hand side.

If going to the Royal Free Hospital continue with the parade of shops on your right hand side.  You will eventually reach Pond Street.  There is a zebra crossing (badly in need of a coat of titanium dioxide paint) and turn right on the other side.  The Royal Free is on the left hand side.  A gathering of smokers will alert you to the trail for the Lower Ground floor entry!

Hampstead Heath station - views of east bound platform and steps to ground level

© Prof Whitestick

Culture on the London Overground

The London Overground has proved to be very useful in getting about in and around London.  Recently I was approached by one of the staff offering some assistance.  I had been wondering for a while about changing lines at Highbury and Islington so asked if Canonbury might be simpler.  London Overground radioed ahead and I was met at Canonbury and shown the lifts and footbridge.  From my point of “view” it is easier to change to the East London Line section at Canonbury.  You may have to be non-sighted and a bit of a transport nerd to appreciate this!  I am beginning to make sense of Whitechapel and have done the switch to Southern at West Croydon; you stay on the platform and listen.

There are close on 100 cultural sites and sights to visit and enjoy around the London Overground.* (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/metro/20720.aspx)

Recently I have been to Richmond Theatre.  The theatre is on Richmond Green and is a short walk from the railway station which is well served by the District Line, Overground and SWT.  There is a side exit which avoids the steps otherwise the station approach is near a zebra crossing and if you cross the road and turn left any lane on the right hand side will take you to Richmond Green. 

Richmond Theatre (http://www.atgtickets.com/Richmond) has been lovingly restored and has a mixed rep (reputation and repertoire).  With matinees twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday it is well worth checking out.   The theatre has front stall seats which come with a warning “May have to look up”.  These seats are not the most sought after, though I found them suitable.  There is legroom and I enjoyed the proximity to the stage as my peripheral vision could make enough, though I had to use sunglasses with the glare of the lighting. 

Recently I went to see Keeler by Gill Adams.  This is a play about Christine Keeler and the role of Keeler was played by Alice Coulthard.  The part of Stephen Ward was played by Paul Nicholas, who also produced and directed the play.  I can just about remember the Profumo affair which erupted in 1963 and involved the usual kiss and tell stories, corruption and politics.  Knowing the back story there was no problem following the plot.  Stephen Ward was not a likeable character and few of the other roles are portrayed as such.  Keeler is hardly the “tart with a heart”  Some of the scene changes are captioned but the dialogue can differentiate between Cliveden, Dolphin Square and a coffee bar off the Edgware Road.

Another play I saw on 8^th October was Tartuffe by Moliere.  This production was performed by English Touring Theatre (ETT) and is based on an adaptation by Roger McGough from Liverpool. This production is performed in rhyming couplets and just approaches an unacceptable level of ham and pastiche and withdraws.  It is very well performed and though some of the jokes are “truly awful” there is enough of the Mel Brooks and dare I say “Carry on” comedy to carry the plot forward.  On hearing one of the actors playing the maid Dorine, I whispered “That sounds like Kirsty from The Archers”.  I was suitably silenced but on the way back home on the London Overground the programme was duly checked and I was vindicated.  Annabelle Dowler played Dorine and very well too.   I can’t put a face to some politicians and actors and not having a television makes one clueless with some of the soap stars.  The rest of the cast were very good including: Joseph Alessi, Eithne Browne, Simon Coates, Rebecca Lacey and Colin Tierney in the part of Tartuffe.  A very enjoyable production. 

Camden Arts Centre (www.camdenartscentre.org) is near Finchley Road and Frognal Station and is not far from Finchley Road Underground station.  Bus stops for 13, 113 and 82 are near.  I recently went to a talk on the exhibition of the work of Mathilde Rosier.  This was moderated by the writer Deborah Levy.  One of the works I liked was ‘Regard, don’t le jaune 2011’.  Rosier has an admiration of birds especially owls and much of her work involves triangles.  I can usually pick up geometrical shapes and though I can paint blur I can’t  see it. One of the installations involved a masked ball event.  On wearing a mask many people act in a disinhibited way. This may be familiar to some blind and partially sighted people who can’t pick up some non verbal communication!

On Thursday 6^th October I went to the opening of two exhibitions at Camden Arts Centre.  Haroon Mirza has an installation “I Saw Square Triangle Sine” In case you are sighted this is NOT a typo. I did not mean sign. (Those using a screenreader will know)   Haroon Mirza was introduced by Lisa Le Feuvre who is Head of Sculpture Studies at the Henry Moore Institute.  Haroon Mirza works with sound a lot and we were encouraged to add to the noise or was it sound of the installation. I would encourage any person with sight loss to try this out.  We have to triangulate with close attention to sound and noise.  I was able to chip in with a remark about noise attenuation which impressed the less geometrical in the crowd for a nanosecond.  I found Mirza’s work accessible which is more than I can say for ‘A World of Glass’ by Nathalie Djurberg with music by Hans Berg.  It must have been the sight of the whitestick as I could sense “concern” as I approached the “glass ware” arrayed on tables.  This part of the installation reminded me of the sculptures in the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow in Poland which I visited in 1975.  There are animated films running in the background and though the sighted may enjoy this installation it somehow left me cold even though the work was explained.  

* (The website for sites/sights along the London Overground route is:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/16224.aspx

However, be warned: the website is very visual, requiring you to click on icons.)

Arcola Theatre: Hertford Castle – trips by train.

On a visit to the British Library I joined a discussion at a Growing Knowledge presentation.  The theme of the series is serendipity and the British Library has a visionary look at the future (excuse the tautology) and a historian’s view of previous serendipity.  I heard about ‘crowd sourcing’ and ‘crowd verification’.  I think as a blind person we might have a different aspect on crowd verification.  One train conductor told me to triple check platform announcements and timings and if you’re not sighted you may find yourself being triangulated away from the truth by what is technically known as a ‘duff’ piece if information. 

Serendipity # 1

Arcola theatre – The Seagull by Chekhov 18^th June

The Arcola Theatre is located very near two London Overground stations: Dalston Kingsland and Dalston Junction.  There are pedestrian crossings near each station and the accessibility at Dalston Junction is excellent.  Accessibility on the Overground has been improved. 

I went to a matinee of The Seagull by Chekhov.  There are concessions and this applies to someone going with you as well.  The performance cost £11 per seat (reduced from £17).

I mentioned Chekhov in a previous post in connection with The Cherry Orchard, which I am going to see at the National Theatre next month (with touch tour and audio description).  I had a seat right at the front of the Arcola Theatre and there is virtually 180 degree audio sound from left ear to right ear, and a ‘balcony’ vignette, so there is above the sound line ‘noises’ and a dramatic finale which I will not spoil. 

This is a superb production and you almost feel as if you’re included in the drama.  The plot is complex with a play within a play and some ‘lampooning’ of actors and the performance is really slick.  There is a lot of material about the production on the Arcola Theatre website and reviews of this production are also available. http://www.arcolatheatre.com/?action=showtemplate&sid=470

I would certainly recommend that anyone within striking distance of the London Overground, i.e. from Clapham Junction, Richmond, Watford, Barking and West Croydon (sorry if I’ve left someone out) could feel safe in attending this excellent production.  Yes – I forgot Stratford! 

The theatre crew are very welcoming and though I went with a friend I would feel safe going back there on my own. 

Serendipity # 2

Hertford – afternoon trip by train

A trip I can remember taking when I was sighted was to Hertford East from Liverpool St returning from Hertford North to Kings Cross.  The geographers among you will note that this is anti-clockwise and there is probably a good reason for doing it this way.  I hadn’t been to Liverpool St since I lost my sight and I went there on my own, having intended to go to Whitechapel but changed my mind. 

The station concourse at Liverpool St is a bit of an obstacle course with many international passengers heading to Stansted Airport.  There is quite a large ticket office with a ‘maze’ entry system, which you might have to navigate your way round.  The staff were friendly and I got a ticket from Boundary Zone 6 to Hertford stations - £3.30 with a Freedom Pass plus a Disability Railcard.  This means you can go into one station and visit most of the town centre and leave from another station. 

Hertford East has a helpful ticket office and a helpful member of staff, so I got directions to the town centre.  I found the museum, though it was closed.  I had a coffee and got directions to Hertford Castle, which was having an Open Day.  This was a real treat and I was taken round the castle, which has a long history.  There is a video with an excellent soundtrack outlining the story of the castle through the ages until it was presented by the Cecil family to the town in 1912.  (I think) 

The Friends of Hertford Castle were very enthusiastic and they were all informative and there is quite a lot of interest to those with limited sight.  Ask to experience the herring bone brickwork in the Council Chamber and a five-pointed star (you have to negotiate a spiral staircase, which is fun) and there are also other rooms on show and a trip to the cellars.  During the Open Day I met some of the staff from the Tourist Office and they have a nice selection of souvenirs, and I bought a couple of books – though I’m not sure when I’ll get them read. 

The castle is in a beautiful park and the town itself is fairly compact with good pedestrian access and tactile crossings.  Directions to ask are the following landmarks which might be useful in planning your visit and finding your way round: museum, castle, Hertford Theatre, Hertford North and Hertford Hospital.  Everyone I asked was happy to help, including the lady in a clothes shop when I got lost.  People are really helpful in shops if you head for the till. 

One of the friends of Hertford Castle is a fellow ‘railway enthusiast’ and I managed to share tales of the London Overground with Alan - a big thank you for taking me and telling me about the way to Hertford North.

Tip: There are stairs at Hertford North and the service is run by First Capital Connect (minimal announcements).  If you exit at Kings Cross, I would follow the flow to the ticket barrier and turn right heading for St Pancras.  There is too much construction at Kings Cross and if you’re concerned about the stairs, it is flat from Hertford East – though you might have to negotiate Liverpool St. 

For railway enthusiasts this is a tale of three termini and two Hertford stations.  Hertford is one of those towns near London which is relatively easy to get to in the same way that St Albans and Tonbridge are.  You can go one route and come back another, and Hertford is also accessible from Seven Sisters and Finsbury Park with other connections to London Underground.

South of the River

To many people living in London, the River Thames is a frontier between north London and south London.  Paris might have ‘rive gauche’ (left bank and right bank); in London, however, the River is treated as a straight east-west axis, though of course it meanders through the city with some parts of south London being further north than parts of north London.  Many people who live in London describe crossing the river as a visit to another world and it’s almost like crossing the River Styx.  Luckily the modern day Charons offer return trips, so it’s not all a case of Orpheus and Eurydice.

I referred in a previous post to a trip on the River on Thames Clippers.  If you have a Freedom Pass, check for discounts.  Crossing the river by bridge is also interesting as there are several road and rail bridges across it and you can get a good idea of the Thames as an artery when the tide is in and a bit of a mess when the tide is out.  If you have a hat, hold on to it as the bridges can be very windy and Waterloo Bridge in particular can make you feel very cold and exposed – and it is a lot longer than it might appear.  Hungerford Bridge used to be an assault course, but in its modern state, together with the South Bank developments, means it is much more accessible.

I made my first solo trip on Tuesday across the bridge from Charing Cross underground station.  You can get off at the Embankment, but I know my way out of Charing Cross on my own though always ask for help in getting back into the underground system.  The bridge is a pleasant walk and will lead you over to the South Bank, which is celebrating 60 years since the Festival of Britain in 1951. 

I wanted to find my way into the Royal Festival Hall (RFH) and had completely forgotten how to get in.  In these circumstances you can usually find a restaurant or a shop and if you hear the sound of money, you can be sure that someone will be able to direct you.  In my case it was the bookshop and through a few questions of the ‘where is the box office’ variety, I found myself at the said box office, where on a whim I got a ticket for Tuesday night’s performance by the Royal Philharmonic with Charles Dutoit conducting and Nikolai Lugansky (piano) with a programme of:  Berlioz/Weber’s Invitation to the Dance, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4 and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. 

The box office staff were extremely helpful and checked my requirements including that of the dog with their accessibility database.  The concession is a half price ticket and one for a guest at the same price.  So, two of us went to a programme which ought to have included Martha Argerich, but she had cancelled.  Incidentally, the concert was broadcast on Radio 3.  There is only one box office on level 2 of the RFH, and the staff generally are very helpful and will guide you to your seat.  If you’re meeting someone, there are tables and chairs and comfortable sofas near the box office and it is good as a rendezvous point (if you haven’t got a Smartphone).

After having booked a ticket, I decided to explore the South Bank and was attracted by a lot of bright yellow, which is one of the few colours I can make out reliably.  There is a lot going on here and the site is currently laid out resembling a beach or lido with deck chairs, beach huts and boating exhibitions. 

I managed to find the National Theatre, entered it and gravitated towards the box office.  Again, they were very helpful, put me on their accessibility list and, once again, inquired about the dog.  I was also told about the current programme and told them that with the help of a friend I had booked into a touch tour and performance of The Cherry Orchard by Chekov. 

This news was of interest to someone else, who told me that Chekov had written precise instructions regarding stage direction and props, and that most productions of Chekov, wherever performed, tended to adhere to the playwright’s directions.  This was news to me, though I can remember seeing The Cherry Orchard at Edinburgh many years ago.  

A couple of transport comments: 

Accessibility for wheelchairs is not something I have commented on and is beyond my competence.  Obviously, access at some stations is restricted, though ramps and lifts have been installed at many stations.  I’ve recently been changing trains in East Croydon, Watford Junction, Bletchley and have been to Bedford, Tonbridge and St Albans Abbey on research.  There are no staff at St Albans Abbey station, but it does provide easier access to the Verulamium.  Unfortunately, it was a rainy day when I went and though I did find the Verulamium, I should have taken a waterproof reel of cotton with me.  It was Theseus without Ariadne, though I think I could just about manage to retrace my way on a good day. 

Some of the junctions I’ve mentioned can be useful as interchange rather than using the London termini, though a word of warning on some First Capital Connect services – there are often no announcements on the train so you may have to ask ‘where are we’.  I would advise that you check in with the station staff if using this line as the timetable is also more complex than it would appear.  Service on Southern Southeastern and London Midland, on the other hand, have regular announcements if not automatic ones, and the railway staff are obvious.  

As mentioned before, there is a lot of construction work on Thameslink services.

London Overground : services are frequent, there are announcements and the station staff have always been a useful source of information on tickets beyond the London zonal system, as well as arranging for onward help at Watford Junction (staff there also extremely helpful).  Remember, your Freedom Pass will take you to Watford Junction so you can buy a ticket for beyond, if you feel adventurous! 

Trainspotting and a boat trip on the River Thames

I couldn’t resist the heading as I am a fan of the books of Irvine Welsh.  His Edinburgh as some of the grit found in the earlier Ian Rankin novels, Iain Banks, James Robertson, AL Kennedy and less of the contrived Alexander McCall Smith.  Needless to say, all these authors are available on RNIB talking books.  My fascination with St Pancras is partly historic, though it is handy for a visit to Camden Town Hall, British Library and RNIB and a lot more comfortable than the construction site that used to be Kings Cross. 

The weather in London has been quite warm and, for me at least, with two ‘good vision’ days on Tuesday and Wednesday.  (We had a terrific downpour on Thursday and I got well and truly soaked.)  On my way back from a routine eye clinic I forgot to count the stations and realised I had gone past my ‘home’ station.  It was probably a case of too much information, as the announcements were clear enough but I was not paying attention.

I found myself at Willesden Junction, which has connections to London Overground and the Bakerloo line, and decided to go to Clapham Junction.  This was my first solo trip.  I used to use this station quite a lot from the 1970s, but have only used it in the company of others since I lost my sight.  I found myself on the revamped overhead walkway and when I got to the gates, asked the staff how to get to Waterloo.  I was told that the smartened-up walkway had lifts to the platforms and then taken to one.  On the way down, I was shown where the emergency button was - the one you’re not supposed to hit – and then put on the next Waterloo train.  Very helpful staff!

Waterloo Station is one I was familiar with, but again had never been here on my own for the last 10 years.  The staff at the gate indicated the next available ‘relay point’.  I got to the information kiosk and then the Travel Centre.  The purpose of all this was to get hard copies of the new timetables.  I know they are available on the web, but sometimes it’s nice to have a current timetable that you can hand someone to check, in case you’re fed up with a poor website or are bored with your screen reader. 

My train journeys were going quite well so I decided to see if I could make it to Greenwich.  I have done this before and for my first post you might recall some conflicting pointing from the railway police!  I got to Greenwich, found the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) platform and went one stop to Cutty Sark.  I managed to find the Greenwich Peer, which is a massive building site, and the ticket booth where I bought a ticket for Thames Clippers from Greenwich to Embankment (£2.80 with a Freedom Pass). 

Now here is a pleasant surprise: at the ticket booth I was given instructions on how to get to the peer for the Clipper.  Later I was commenting to one of the staff how good the instructions had been by the lady at the ticket counter, only to be told “I sold you the ticket!”  So well done Jessica (0174)!! (A sighted friend read out the details on the till receipt!) 

The Thames Clipper is well worth a trip.  Again, I have used it before with friends and was doing this one on my own for the first time.  It’s hard to describe what one actually sees, but I was aware of the changing silhouettes on my peripheral vision and going under the bridges, especially the stop near Tower Bridge.  At the Embankment, London Underground staff took me down to the platform and I knew my way back once on the Bakerloo line.

The next day I thought I would be more daring and tried out a totally new line on my own.  The old East London line extension recreates the North London Line link from Dalston Junction to Broad Street, but diverts at Shoreditch to South London.  This might sound very trainspotterish but I confess to being fascinated by railway architecture: bridges, especially the Forth Railway Bridge; stations, such as St Pancras; and junctions such as Crianlarich Junction.    (In the old days I had made very long train journeys in the USA, west Europe, the old Eastern block, southeast Asia and bits of Africa.)

I managed to negotiate Highbury & Islington on my own and changed at Sydenham and West Croydon to arrive at Sutton, where I had lunch and then came back on the Thameslink via St Pancras. 

You may well ask what is the point of all this.  I think this proves that with some attention by the transport providers in London, and the right amount of information and goodwill from staff and fellow commuters, a blind person can get around independently – or at least arrange to go somewhere on a whim without having to rely on others taking him.  This makes a lot of London accessible, provided you know what you want. 

So, many thanks to all, especially Clapham Junction staff, London Waterloo Information Centre, a fellow passenger at London Bridge, Thames Clippers staff, London Underground Embankment, London Overground – particularly Highbury & Islington – and Sutton railway station. 

Regarding communications, I’ve had problems with a revamped Twitter interface with JAWS 12 update.  This is beginning to be as nightmarish as a Google predictor, though I have just discovered Msgs (it says Alt+3 - note for anyone using JAWS) on mobile twitter. 

Update: (4/6/11)

The following are excerpts of a conversation I was having with @defarrington on the Guardian blog regarding the new hybrid buses that are to be introduced in London in the next few years.  As a blind person, I am concerned that we may not recognise a silen vehicle as a a moving vehicle, especially if we listen for traffic noise in making a judgement about when to cross the road.  I don't have a guide dog so can't speak for those who do, but I've had a couple of near misses with careless drivers who reverse illegally into a road and you just don't hear them.

(http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/davehillblog/2011/jun/03/boris-johnson-new-london-bus-probably-good-stuff?commentpage=last#end-of-comments)

Me:

As a blind person, one has got used to hearing the whine of the current diesel buses. I am concerned that a hybrid bus will go into silent mode at the apparent whim of a GPS signal, thus removing a sound 'signpost' or warning for people like me. We might think that the bus has stopped when in fact it might still be moving. I've had a couple of near misses with hybrid cars, especially when they reverse in silent mode.

@defarrington’s reply :

Prof

They're engineering an exterior noise for the bus when in electric mode. Most electric cars have them and they'll soon become law in the EU and US.

No need to worry.

Me:

@defarrington:

Thanks - but it's still scary. Is this noise rule widely known? I will try and raise this at a transport liaison group. We've had problems with the top market hybrid cars and their drivers! Green doesn't always mean safe - or polite and considerate.

@defarrington’s reply:

Prof

The noise rule isn't yet law, but I believe it's on the way.

I'm currently using a Nissan Leaf battery car which has an exterior noise mode.

Worth bringing up with TfL.