museums and the like - recommendations and so on?
J. P. Gilliver (John)
but am often disappointed at how much is behind glass and/or roped off.
I thought maybe it might be useful to start a thread (sorry if this has
been done before, I'm new to this 'group) in which to share experiences.
.
. I sometimes find going at a quiet time, i. e. when there are few other
visitors, is a good idea, as a _few_ staff sometimes then allow you to
handle some of the exhibits, go behind the scenes, and so on. Beamish
open-air museum in County Durham was like that. It does depend on
individual staff as well, though. ..
. Anyway, here are a few: .
. Finchcocks musical instruments museum, Goudhurst, S. E. England: full
access to _nearly_ all the instruments. If you go on one of their
exhibition days, although it can be crowded, you get demonstrations and
talks too; the piano with the attachments for "Turkish music" is
particularly startling and fun! Somewhat expensive, and also remote -
you need a car to get there I think. Nice house too. ..
. Science museum, London: bit of a disappointment. Virtually everything
is behind glass, and what isn't is mostly "please do not touch". (And
the day we went, the staff who were there weren't sympathetic.) ..
. Cragside, Northumberland (remote isn't the word!) the home of Lord
Armstrong, great industrialist - the first private house to have
electricity (he was rich enough to have his own hydroelectric system -
not only that, but also to have constructed the two lakes needed for
it!): nice gardens/grounds if you like walking; house not _too_
accessible, though lots of statues and the like are. Oh, and it does
have Braille guides available for loan. ..
. Canterbury cathedral (Kent): tactile model, specifically designed for
the VH (though not labelled in Braille and the commentary is a bit
quiet); hirable spoken guide machines that aren't bad.
. Discovery museum, Newcastle: coming on well. Spoken guide machines (a
little on the quiet side), tactile floor guide, some - I'd say about a
third or a quarter - things accessible, though a lot still behind glass
so a sighted friend is useful. Braille numbers to tell you which section
of the spoken guide machines to key in to get words on the bit of the
museum you're in. Some sound-only aspects: simulated street scenes, and
also recordings of local people telling of their memories of various
parts of the area. (The buttons to activate those are labelled in
Braille, though with a lot less detail than the print label.) Some
rather unfortunate juxtaposition of exhibits - it was a bit hard to hear
some things over other noisy things - but since we spent most of a day
there and only did one of the three tours on the machine, I think it's
good, and may well improve: their accessibility officer is blind
himself, and actually met us. ..
. Vintage wireless museum, Dulwich, south London. Viewing by appointment
only in theory, and free, though please make a contribution (in the box
on the kitchen mantelpiece - yes, it's that sort of museum; you're quite
likely to be offered a mug of tea!). In full, "The British Vintage
Wireless and Television Museum", though it concentrates very much on the
wireless. http://bvwm.org.uk/ - run by a lovely man called Gerry Wells
(in his eighties); very much depends on how he takes to you. Since, I
think, he likes me, he let us have complete and tactile access to the
whole place, which is a three-storey house - and several huge sheds -
packed to the brim with wirelesses (hundreds of them), with the odd
gramophone too. Had to drag my friends away after many hours ...
. I'm sure I've forgotten a few places we've been. Anyway, thought this
might be of interest to some, and perhaps others might like to share
their experiences; I'd be particularly interested in any good ones in
the Kent (ideally around Folkestone) or Northumberland/Durham area. ..
. Oh, Dover castle: the keep, i. e. the main central building, was
closed for refurbishment when we went, but the rest is quite good: you
can wander round most of it, and handle cannon and the like, and the
guided tours - particularly of the secret wartime tunnels, including a
hospital - are good. It's a big site, by the way.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **
PRIME DIRECTIVE, MY A**! Phasers on maximum!
Brian Gaff
only available via touch screen technology. Nice one. Obviously there were
no blind users on their committees.
Brian
--
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Blind user, so no pictures please!
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" <G6...@soft255.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:dU6kiDtO...@soft255.demon.co.uk...
chris mcmillan
<bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> writes
>Yes, one London museum claims to have talking exhibit info, but then puts it
>only available via touch screen technology. Nice one. Obviously there were
>no blind users on their committees.
>Brian
>
venues so my answer is I don't know any more.
Reading has an audio version for its Bayeux Tapestry exhibition and
there are some 'tactile' pictures (six of them from memory). Id did go
and talk to the lady who got this off the ground earlier this year and I
said I'd go back and go round all of it, and I haven't done yet.
Sincerely Chris
--
Chris McMillan
sig line taking a holiday