The Saatchi Gallery

The Saatchi Gallery is very accessible and there is a ramp into the main entrance, there is a small step that they have got a ramp for but you need to ask a member of staff to put it out for you.

Inside the gallery it is very light and there is a lot of room and the corridors are wide so a wheelchair can pass easily.

The artwork is good, but I will leave it up to you to decide.

No they are not real people but when you first see them you think they must be real, it is fun to watch, they crash every minute or so.

The piano is made from a old sail, the labels are not next to the paintings and are very very small and the text talking about the piece of artwork is very small too and the text is on a white card on a white wall, who put them up didn't think.

This is a very good piece of modern art that looks cool and is easy to see what it was before, it used to be a metal fire exit ladder.

The The Saatchi Gallery, has two lifts that are a fair size, but only one goes to the 'Mezzanine Level' of the gallery that takes you up to a viewing platform and the second accessible toilet that is a nice size, it has a tap that is sensor operated, there is another by the recption desk that is the same as the one on the mezzannine level.

By now you migt want to have a bite to eat... Well The Saatchi Gallery has a cafe but it is next door to the gallery, it is in the old 'Mess' so they have called the newly opened Gallery Café/Bar The Mess.

The Mess Cafe and Bar

Here is a sample of the Mess menu:

AFTERNOON TEA
Served from 2.30 pm to close
Tea and sconesWarm scones with clotted cream and jam
£6.00
Afternoon teaMini sandwich selection, warm scones with clotted cream and jam, chocolate éclair and homemade cakes
£8.50
Puddings
Served from 11.30am to close
Rhubarb and strawberry crumbleWith rose petal or vanilla bean ice cream
£6.00
Milk chocolate popcorn sundaeWith caramel popcorn and popcorn sorbet
£6.00
KnickerbockergloryWith crème brulee, berries, ice cream and shortbread biscuit
£6.00
There will also be a selection of daily specials each day
Drinks
Prosecco/Champagne
glass
half bottle
bottle
Argeo Prosecco Brut, Ruggeri
£6.00
£24.50
Brut di Pinot Nero Rose VS, Ruggeri
£7.00
£28.50
Mercier Brut NV
£8.50
£45.00
Mercier Rose NV
£10.00
£55.00
Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin NV
£12.50
£36.00
£65.00
Ruinart NV
£70.00
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
£85.00
White Wine
glass
carafe
bottle
Sauvignon Blanc La Place VDP Cotes de Gascogne,South West France 2008
£4.00
£7.50
£17.00
Pinot Grigio Venezie IGT, Veritiere, Veneto, Italy 2008
£4.50
£8.00
£22.00
RieslingVilla Wolf, Dr Loosen Pfalz, Germany 2007
£25.00
Chablis Domaine de Vauroux, Burgundy,France 2007
£6.00
£11.00
£33.00
SancerreDomaine des Vieux Pruniers, Loire,France 2008
£35.00
Sauvignon BlancCloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc,New Zealand 2008
£37.00
Rose Wine
glass
carafe
bottle
Pinot Grigio BlushVia Nova,Italy 2008
£4.50
£8.00
£21.00
ProvenceDomaine de Jale, Organic, France 2007
£5.00
£9.00
£26.00
Red Wine
glass
carafe
bottle
Cotes du Rhone Le Pas de la Beaume, Cave de Cairanne,France 2007
£4.00
£7.00
£19.00
SicilyLunate, Nero d'Avola, Sicily, 2007
£22.00
Pinot NoirBrouilly, Domaine des Roches Blues, Burgundy, France 2007
£24.00
Cabernet SauvignonTerrazas Cabernet Sauvignon,Argentina 2004
£4.00
£7.00
£24.00
Pinot NoirHawkes Bay Pinot Noir, Trinity Hill,New Zealand 2008
£30.00
ClaretChateaux Tuilerie des Combes,Montagne St Emillion
£37.00
Spirits
ml
Gordon's Gin 35.5% ABV
25
£4.00
Bombay Sapphire Gin 40% ABV
25
£5.00
Absolut Vodka 40% ABV
25
£4.00
Bacardi Rum 37.5% ABV
25
£5.00
Johnnie Walker Black Label 40% ABV
25
£5.00
Jack Daniels 40% ABV
25
£5.00
Remy Martin V.S.O.P. Cognac 40% ABV
25
£7.00
Hennessy XO Grande Champagne 40% ABV
25
£10.00
Taylor Port 18% ABV 50 ml
50
£5.00
Beers/Cider
ml
bottle
Asahi 5% ABV
330
£3.00
Becks 5% ABV
270
£3.00
Becks Non Alcoholic
270
£3.00
Peroni Nastro Azzuro 5.2% ABV
330
£4.00
Magners
330
£4.00
Old Speckled Hen 5.2% ABV
500
£5.00
Cocktails
Kir Royale
£9.50
Bellini
£7.50
Mojito
£8.00
Cosmopolitan
£8.00
Bloody Mary
£7.00
Soft Drinks
ml
Aqua Panna (still)
250/750
£2/£4.00
San Pellegrino (sparkling)
250/750
£2/£4.00
Coke/Diet Coke
330
£2.50
Schweppes Tonic/Slimline
200
£2.00
Lemonade
330
£2.50
Juices
ml
Freshly squeezed orange juice
250
£3.50
Apple, orange, tomato, cranberry juice
250
£2.00
Manic Organic pear & ginger juice
250
£2.50
Manic Organic apple & beetroot juice
250
£2.50
Coffee
Espresso
£2.00
Americano
£2.20
Cappuccino/latte
£2.40
Large cappuccino/latte
£2.80
Hot chocolate
£2.20
Jing Teas (Pots)
Assam breakfast, green tea, earl grey, white teablackcurrant & hibiscus, peppermint, chamomile
£2.20

For more information please go to the website at:

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/index.htm

Accessiblity Score:

Syon House

I went to visit Syon House to find out how accessible it was and also Syon has a link with Henry VIII so those two resons made me want to go and see the hous

The House is a fair way from the carpark you need to go in to the shop ticket office to pay for entry to Syon House, it's not National Trust the house is owned by The Duke of Northumberland

Enrty is £9.00 adult, consessions are £8.00 not cheap.

Anyway once you have walked or wheeled up the path you see in the photo you reach the entrance to Syon House, that is not wheelchair accessible what so ever, steps up to the front door (see photo)

I could just about get up with help, when or if you manage to get up you get into The great Hall, that is very nice and this is where you pick your audio tours up from

You may not be able to see in this photo but at the other end of the Great Hall there are some steps about six with no handrail.

This is the Ante Room that is very grand and has avery nice floor, in this room you can feel a tile from the floor.

If you want to see more photo's of the house visithe website, I will give the website address later.

After the trip round the Syon House, we went for a drink in the cafe (see Blog) and then we went into Great Conservatory, this flat access into it, or more or less flat.

As you can see in this photo the ramp is not very good because it is a small step up onto the ramp

Outside Great Conservatory.

There are no seats in the Great Conservatory, that is a bit strange.

Syon House is very nice to be in on a hot day, and for those who are able to walk round and can manage stairs it is very nice, but for those who are unable to get in it is not fair there is no accessible way in.

Visit the website at:

http://www.syonpark.co.uk/tour.asp to find out more

Accessiblity Score: