10 Things to do this school holiday with a severely disabled wheelchair-bound child in and around Haringey

  • By The Difficult Parent
  • 14 Apr, 2019

So, I was trying to find things to do this holiday and the nearest places to or in the London Borough of Haringey that are wheelchair accessible and have Changing Places standard toilets. And I thought that I would share what I found with anyone else who may find it helpful...

1 Go Swimming

Tottenham Green and Park Road Pools both have disabled parking and changing facilities with beds and hoists.  Check out the Fusion website for opening times, fun sessions, including fun, flumes and floats at Tottenham Green

https://www.fusion-lifestyle.com/centres/tottenham-green-pools-fitness/timetables/swimming/

2 Go Cycling

PEDAL POWER

Pedal Power is the cycling club for all ages with learning disabilities.  Located on Tuesdays and Alternate Saturdays at Finsbury Park Athletics Track or Basketball Courts AND Thursdays at the  Arsenal FC Emirates Stadiumwhere there is a Changing Places loo

Alternate Saturdays, 12:00 - 4:00 Finsbury Park
Tuesdays 10:00-1:00 Finsbury Park
Thursdays 10:30-1:30 Arsenal stadium

Check out Pedal Power's calendar for details

http://www.pedalpowercc.org/?page_id=809

3 Go to the park

Going the park is always a kerfuffle for us.  Our nearest parks - Downhills and Lordship Rec - are both great parks.  Lordship Rec in particular has lots on.  But neither have the changing facilities we need.  The nearest park for us therefore is at the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park, which does have a toilet with a hoist and a changing bed.

There is also other cool stuff to do nearby, like swimming in the Olympic Pool or canoeing on the canal.

Honour Lea Avenue
Queen Elizabeth Park
London
E20 3BB

4 Go to the pictures

See an autism friendly screening of Wonder Park

Sunday 5th May at 11am, at the participating Cineworld cinemas, follow  this link: https://www.dimensions-uk.org/get-involved/campaigns/autism-friendly-cinema-screenings/autism-friend...

But the nearest cinema to us with a Changing Places Toilet is at the
Beech Street
London
EC2Y 8D

 - and again there is other cool stuff to do at the Barbican check out their What's on page https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on? including the Squish Space: A  multi-sensory adventure for under 5's, as well as cafes, restaurants and a shop...

If you are regular cinema goers, do you know about the CAE Card? 

The Card enables a disabled cinema guest to receive a complimentary ticket for someone to go with them when they visit a participating cinema.

https://www.ceacard.co.uk/

5 You'll be for tea then?...

The only place in Haringey to eat with a Changing Places loo is 
The Mossy Well
258 Muswell Hill Broadway
Muswell Hill
London
N10 3SH

Their website is https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/london/the-mossy-well-muswell-hill and Muswell Hill has it's own web page too in Time Out: https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/muswell-hill-area-guide

6 Check out platform 9 and 3/4

Like us, maybe one of your children is seriously afflicted with a Harry Potter addiction issue.  If so, we are so sorry for your troubles.  Maybe, you too have spent uncomfortable amounts of money on bits of plastic that are neither wooden, wands nor magic.  In which case, you really do not want to know that Kings Cross also has a changing places loo... Go and experience the magic that is your hard earned money disappearing right before your very eyes..

King's Cross Railway Station
Euston Road
London
N1C 4AP

You can also eat, drink and shop in the area - check out the official website https://www.kingscross.co.uk/

7 Go to an Adventure Playground

There is an adventure playground down at the Markfield Project in Markfield Park open most Saturdays in the summer months 10 am till 6pm, including this holiday (but NOT Easter Saturday)

Check out their calendar for details

https://markfield.org.uk/events-calendar/

There is also a cafe in Markfield park - link here to Haringey's website :

https://www.haringey.gov.uk/libraries-sport-and-leisure/parks-and-open-spaces/z-parks-and-open-space...

8 Go to a museum

The nearest museum to us with a Changing Places toilet is at the RAF Museum, Hendon

Royal RAF Museum
Grahame Park Way
Edgeware
London
NW9 5LL


Again, LOADS of cool stuff to do, including a cafe, a restaurant, the ubiquitous museum shop and a Dambusters Exhibition ...  so check out their website : https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/

9 Go to an art gallery

Nearest art gallery with a changing places is at the Tate Modern, Bankside

Bankside
London
SE1 9GT
GB


And their website is https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern for information about their exhibitions including Art and Society Exhibition, a restaurant, cafe and I think maybe a shop ...

10 Stay in or doing something else

If you can, send your partner out with the kids to any of the above events and have a bath on your own without ANY interruptions for maybe like an hour ...

If guilt gets the better of you, check out all Changing Places Standard Toilets near us in Haringey, on their website:  http://changingplaces.uktoiletmap.org/find?toiletLocation=Haringey,%20London
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