Booking tickets for Horrible Histories – The Concert

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It’s really difficult to find good presents for Quinns so when I saw an advert for ‘Horrible Histories – the Concert’ in Glasgow I knew what to get him for Christmas. He loves the tv programme and had really enjoyed previous pantomime trips so I hoped he would enjoy the full theatre experience. I did have a slight hesitation in how he might cope as he struggles with loud noises, but it seemed worth the risk.

Quinns and his Big Sister smile under a poster for Horrible Histories - The Concert at a Theatre in Glasgow.

These days it seems straighforward to buy tickets for shows. A few clicks on the website and your seats are chosen, payment is made and your tickets magically appear.

Sadly, that was not my experience trying to buy our tickets to include a wheelchair space for Quinns.

I followed the link for the show and discovered the tickets were being sold by ATG tickets. I couldn’t see any wheelchair spaces available on the plan. Having never been in this particular theatre with Quinns I had absolutely no idea of the layout. It seemed easier to speak to someone with knowledge of the theatre. I phoned the contact number, but a recorded message directed me to the ATG website then hung up. I tried the contact form on the ATG website but four months later I am still awaiting a response. There was no way to speak directly to the Theatre.

After much digging on the ATG website I discovered I would need an Access Card which covered all sorts of access requirements. I aborted my attempts to get this card when it asked for details of Quinns’ diagnosis. I had no idea why this was relevant simply to book a wheelchair space. I reached out for help and reassurance from a friend.

Following consultation, I spent considerable time weighing up whether all the effort of filling out a multi-page form with some highly personal and emotive information was worth it. I kept in my head how excited Quinns would be to see his favourite characters from TV and potentially there would be other shows we would want to take him to in future. In theory I only have to go through this process once as the Access Card will apply for future bookings.

Keep in mind, at this point, I still didn’t know whether there were actually any wheelchair tickets available for the performance!

I eventually got through the form giving as little information as possible. A large part of it was about toilet requirements so I made the point he needs a Changing Places toilet even although I knew this was not available. On my second attempt it still took me nearly an hour to complete the whole form! Towards the end of the process, I was constantly asked if I wanted to buy a physical Access Card even although the forms I had completed for the digital version should be sufficient.

I finally reached the point of booking tickets and it appeared that a wheelchair space was available. Our tickets included ‘Wheelchair’ and ‘Essential’ Companion and we were all in the same row. Hooray!

Quinns was delighted when he got the tickets on Christmas morning and we all had something to look forward to in March.

So, with much excitement a couple of weeks ago we caught the train to Glasgow for the show. I planned to arrive early because I had a feeling it wasn’t going to go well. And sure enough when we got to our seats I had booked a wheelchair transfer seat not a wheelchair space. I nearly cried!

Thankfully the staff in the theatre sorted it for us immediately. Without hesitation they checked whether the wheelchair space was available. I am so grateful that it was! Sadly, we weren’t all together on the same row, but dad and Big Sister were in seats in front which worked well for us. The speed with which it was sorted made me think this may be a regular occurrence.

Close up of Quinns wearing his ear defenders ready for the Horrible Histories performance to begin.
The ceiling and different levels of the Theatre Royal in Glasgow.
Close up of the back of Quinns head looking at the stage which has a screen saying Horrible Histories The Concert. His Big Sister is sitting in a seat front left of Quinns.
Close up of the screen on the stage at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow. It reads Horrible Histories, Live (and Dead)! The Concert BBC.

At the end of the performance we spoke to the Manager of the theatre so hopefully we could both learn from what had gone wrong and to thank the staff for being so helpful. I couldn’t help but be disappointed when he confirmed there is no way to speak directly to the theatre or anyone else to avoid such issues.

We all thoroughly enjoyed the performance so all the heartache of filling out forms was worth it. Before the performance Quinns was fascinated by the ceiling and enjoyed watching audience members arrive. He then coped well with the noise of the music, singing and audience participation. I would definitely take him to other shows.

But would I book a show at that theatre again through ATG tickets?  For the right show, now that we’ve done it once and got some more information about the layout, I might be willing to attempt it. But I do have some serious reservations following our recent experience. What if the same thing happened again and the wheelchair space wasn’t available despite all the information I provided?

I have, however, booked seats at a theatre in Perth for the four of us. It took one email and one phone conversation to have the correct four tickets. I’ll keep you posted on how it turns out but so far so good!

Domino Park

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In 2018 I wrote a blog called Park Life. In the first part I sat on a bench in a park and cried. We were with friends and even although the park claimed to be inclusive there was absolutely nothing for Quinns to play on. The second part of that blog described the day we visited a more inclusive playpark and discovered that wheelchair-accessible roundabouts and other accessible equipment existed. Being new to disability I had no idea about accessible play equipment.

This revelation took us on a journey to discover the best accessible play equipment and inspired us to take on a fundraising campaign to make our local play park more accessible and a great place for Quinns and everyone to play in. We succeeded in all we planned to do and finally everything was installed in 2023. Quinns has subsequently had many fun times in that park and hopefully he still has a few to come although he is maybe getting a bit too old for it!

Quinns beams as his Big Sister pushes him on a high backed swing in our local play park.
Quinns in his supported buggy looks with awe at the brand new Playground Communications Board in his local play park.
A group of children including Quinns in his wheelchair all play together on the new accessible roundabout in our local playpark.

I, however, am still frustrated when I see new or refurbished parks that don’t contain accessible play equipment. In my original blog I dreamt about an accessible roundabout in every park. I now think that is the absolute minimum and there could be so much more done with wheelchair-accessible play equipment. Afterall making the play equipment accessible to disabled children doesn’t exclude other children.

As part of my work as the graphic designer for Socialudo, we have developed a game called Domino Park with the aim to inspire discussion around what makes greenspaces (including play parks) accessible and inclusive. It’s a simple game where you collect dominos to build your own park. At the end the scores are tallied and the person with the most accessible/inclusive features gets the most points.

A random selection of illustrated domino tiles including a Changing Place toilet, Old Boat, Accessible Toilet and Direction Signage.
Domino Park dominoes laid out in a game to create the 'Donbridge' park. Point winning dominoes include a Lowered Basketball Hoop, Changing Place Toilet, Bike Track and Disabled Parking.
Dominos laid out on a table with wheelchair roundabout and Changing Place Toilet in the foreground.

I hope it will be a useful tool for anyone taking on a similar project to the one we did, or for anyone looking to discuss the design and development of greenspaces. I would love to hear from you if you’re inspired to play the game!

There is a Print & Play version of the game on the Socialudo website for anyone to download and play for free. The Socialudo team would love to hear from you, and answer any questions. You can even arrange to try out a ‘giant’ version of the game!

Quinns, the artist

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Quinns has been obsessed with an art program on his eye gaze computer for the last six months. Whenever we set the device up for him he immediately goes to the app. Usually with a cheeky smile and an ‘Au revoir’ because he’s discovered the way to get to it is through a board with his school work where he is learning French.

He has been using his eye gaze device since he was three. The small camera under the computer picks up the movements of his eyes allowing him to operate it. As well as using it for art, he uses it to communicate, play games and read stories.

The artworks he produces are bold, abstract explosions of colour. He chooses the canvas colour and which paint colour and brush to use. He can work on multiple canvases at the same time but always makes sure he downloads them when he’s finished.

When we were in Rachel House for respite at the beginning of February he delighted in showing anyone and everyone the art he was producing. One of the activity team noticed and loved what he was doing so much. She just knew it needed to be seen!

As a result, we were so delighted when the fundraising team from CHAS (who run Rachel House) asked us if it could be used for the upcoming CHAS Ladies Lunch in Glasgow. The artwork Quinns had created that weekend in Rachel House was perfect for the event that included entertainment by N-Trance!

I didn’t hesitate to say yes for his work to be used and to Big Sister and I going along to see it all. Quinns and Dad obviously were not invited! It was amazing to see Quinns’ art reproduced everywhere including on the tote gift bags given to every guest, the booklet, table numbers as well as animated on the big screen with his name shared.

CHAS Glasgow Ladies Lunch booklet on the table at the event using Quinns art as the background
Table number 3 using Quinns' artwork as the background
CHAS Ladies Lunch tote bag with Quinns' artwork alongside two copies of the programme.
Photo of the famous Glasgwegian statue with the traffic cone with Quinns' artwork as the background
Huge thanks to Quinns for providing the artwork printed in the Ladies Lunch programme.

In an amazing stroke of luck I was brought onto stage, with potential to win a prize, and got to introduce myself and share about Quinns’ art. I was so delighted to be able to share his amazing artwork with all the women in that room but even more to be able to help fundraise for the amazing charity. As well as providing help and respite to families like ours CHAS provide support to families, including children, parents, siblings and grandparents, who are experiencing some of their toughest times. We are so grateful for the time we get to spend in Rachel House where we rest and recuperate so we can support Quinns in these endeavours and make his life the best possible.

Big Sister and I had an amazing time eating a delicious lunch, listening to the lovely Rachel Rhienne sing and then dancing the afternoon away with N-Trance. When we got home we showed Quinns his artwork, shared stories from our afternoon and had a mini rave even although he was already in bed!

Selfie of me with a MC from N-Trance with Big Sister photo bombing and Rachel Rhienne in the background
Screen reading total raised £43,528 in the background. Giant patterned wooden letters spelling CHAS in the foreground.
Quinns in his bed smiling holding a yellow glow stick.
N-Trance take to the stage at the CHAS Glasgow Ladies Lunch.

Accessible Family Adventure in the Lake District

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During the school summer holidays we had the most amazing week in the Lake District with the Bendrigg Trust. Quinns has always been a thrill seeker but it’s extremely difficult finding activities he can do that give him an adrenaline rush. Plus it’s always challenging to find things we can all do together so when I saw the opportunity for an accessible activity holiday I signed the four of us up immediately.

Quinns smiles in his wheelchair which is strapped into the Bendrigg bus on the way to caving. Yellow ropes can be seen attached to the side of his chair.

The schedule for the week was so jam packed we barely had time to unpack when we arrived but thankfully the first activity was lunch. The holiday was fully catered including any special diets so Quinns enjoyed the same meals as we did only blended for his button. It took the pressure off me to cook and allowed me to take part in all the activities.

Our rooms, two adjoining, were in Acorn Lodge which is the smaller of the two buildings set in large grounds. Both Quinns and Big Sister had profiling beds in their room much to her excitement. They also had a massive wet room (bigger than Big Sister’s bedroom at home apparently) with an adjustable height bench for showering. The Trust were able to provide a range of equipment so we requested the exact same shower chair Quinns has at home – one less thing to pack in the car! With suitable accommodation and food sorted we were able to focus on all the activities.

After lunch we explored the extensive grounds before our first activity in the specially constructed indoor cave. We were grouped with another lovely family for the whole week. Quinns wouldn’t wear a helmet but delighted in wearing the light so he could see his new friend when he popped out of one of the tighter spaces in the cave. We later teamed up for an evening of orienteering which may have got a wee bit competitive!

Day two was very wet but that didn’t stop us on the zip slide. The activity leaders got Quinns all sorted with an appropriate harness and hoisted him up ready. After taking him half way to check he was happy they sussed that actually he had a need for speed so off to the top he went! He is certainly braver than me who nearly chickened out at the last minute!

After a spot of archery, with some special equipment to allow Quinns to push a button to release the arrow, it was time to climb. Quinns was fitted with the same harness for climbing as he was for the zip wire. Either Big Sister or I climbed beside him to guide him up and encourage him to reach out for the wall or kick it. At the top we went over while he got to abseil all the way back down.

Big Sister guides Quinns up a climbing wall. They are both wearing harnesses.
Quinns smiles widely as he abseils down from a climbing wall. There is a small orange dot of someone's helmet at the bottom of the photo showing how high up Quinns is.

Although we had been really looking forward to it, my expectation had been that Quinns might manage a bit of the wall and that would have been the end of it. However he loved it so much he did nearly three climbs plus abseils and also two further abseils at a separate abseil bit. I managed two climbs and one abseil while Big Sister climbed almost every part of the wall including the really difficult end! It was lovely being able to do it all together.

Heavy rain gave us the excuse for a well earned evening with no activities so we were ready for the next day’s caving adventure. Bendrigg have a number of vehicles to transport people so we all loaded into a minibus which drove us straight to the entrance of Ingleborough Cave. The activity leaders attached ropes to Quinns’ wheelchair as an additional safety measure to guide him through any steep slopes inside the cave and we were all issued with hard hats. Quinns chose to just wear his torch again. The roof of the cave wasn’t so low that he was at risk of bumping his head at any time. Dad on the other hand had some difficulties!

Quinns wears a torch on his head to see around the indoor cave at Bendrigg.
Dad is missing his head in Ingleborough Cave because the roof is so low in some points he has to crouch but at this point he can stand up.

After a slight change of plan due to lack of Changing Places toilet we headed back to Acorn House and some afternoon activities in the games hall and sensory room. By this point Quinns was starting to flag from all the stimulation but managed to giggle through the Angry Birds film with his new friend during movie night.

The sun shone for our final day, canoeing on Lake Windermere. A portable gantry hoist and a clever doubling up of the canoes meant it was possible for us all to go out together. Quinns sat like a king in the middle of one canoe between me and dad. He did try rowing with a special paddle for a moment or two but preferred the luxury of us doing all the hard work. A highlight from the morning was being at the exact right spot on the river to see the steam train go past. We lunched in the canoe with some new found duck friends before going out again for a quick trip across Windermere itself.

The site we set off from at Fell Foot Park in Newby Bridge is well provisioned with a number of changing facilities including an accessible changing room as well as a full Changing Place toilet. After canoeing and a change into dry clothes we were able to enjoy an ice cream at the café before heading back to Bendrigg.

Quinns is using a special orange paddle in the canoe on Lake Windermere.
Quinns and Big Sister pose outside the door of the Changing Place Toilet at Fell Foot in Newby Bridge.

We managed a visit to the gift shop and a bit of a disco in the sensory room that evening before heading back to our room to pack for going home the next day. It’s safe to say we were all exhausted after the busiest of weeks but we were also buzzing from having had quality family time, making new friends and us all trying out new activities. Enjoy this short video of the highlights of our trip!

Communication Matters

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Big Sister and I had the privilege of spending two days at the Communication Matters Conference earlier this week. Leeds University hosted nearly 500 delegates including 39 AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) users. It was incredible to meet up with friends, people we know working in the field and to meet new people and make new friends.

A bright yellow cloth bag with CM25 in giant letters lies on a wooden table behind the CM2025 Conference Guide and the AAC Awards 2025 guide.

There were so many talks across the two days that it was impossible to see them all. I feel like we only scratched the surface but we would have needed an entire week or possibly more to cover it all. AI was a big theme. Both the possibilities and the pitfalls for AAC were discussed. The talks that left the biggest impression were the ones where AAC users themselves spoke.

I really wish Quinns could have been there to see the other AAC users in action both speaking and generally being around. He is still a bit too young for such a Conference so it will be a few years before we can bring him along and introduce him to this community.

One of the talks at the Conference was from Smartbox about ElevenLabs voice integration. You may have seen the story on the BBC recently about the woman they created a voice for using 8 seconds of scratchy voice recording from a VHS video. Although Quinns isn’t eligible for a voice at the moment we got to talking about it.

He’s come a long way since he changed his voice to the Queen when he first got the device. This was one decision we reversed as he was only three! In the summer we deepened his computer voice slightly in line with his age and will deepen it further as he heads into his teenage years. He has only ever had a computer voice so it’s difficult to imagine what his accent would be but how amazing would it be for him to have his own unique voice.

It’s been a while since I shared any of Quinns’ AAC journey. In the past year he has got a new eye gaze device which is slightly bigger and has improvements such as a partner screen on the back so that communication partners can work opposite him rather than crowd in beside him.

The new device includes TV controls allowing him to scroll through YouTube or put on a film on our main home tv or maybe I should say Quinns’ tv as he’s the one who watches it the most. When we tried to watch a programme while he was playing games on the eye gaze I couldn’t understand why it had stopped until I remembered Quinns now has control! He clearly did not want to watch what we were watching.

He also now has a mount for his wheelchair so he can use the device when he is out and about. He loves being able to show it off to the librarians in our local library! We are still coming to terms with making sure we have all the bits necessary when we leave the house.

Quinns smiles sitting in his wheelchair with his eye gaze device mounted in front of him. There is a Smartbox CM 2025 Conference sticker in one corner and AAC in graffiti letters sticker on the other corner of his device.
Quinns sitting in his wheelchair with his eye gaze device mounted in front of him. He is focusing on the eye gaze. There is a Smartbox CM 2025 Conference sticker in one corner and AAC in graffiti letters sticker on the other corner of his device.

Following input from CALL Scotland last year he is now much more able to use it for his school work including filling out maths sheets. Apparently he really enjoys learning his times tables! At home he is obsessed with art. Despite our attempts to have him on a communication grid to talk to us he prefers to navigate to his school board, say ‘Au revoir’ and escape to the grid where he can open his art programme. It’s all communication, right?

The photo is taken over Quinns shoulder. He is sitting in his wheelchair looking at the screen of his eye gaze which shows a bright yellow and blue artwork.

We have returned from the conference with lots to reflect on as well as ideas to help integrate Quinns’ eye gaze device into our lives more and give him more opportunities to use it and communicate beyond our family. Although it may be a while before we can take him to the conference maybe there will be a meet up of young AAC users in Scotland soon!

Beach wheelchairs

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When holidaying on the East Coast of Scotland it is essential to have a beach day for swimming, kite flying or building sandcastles. Having had a great day on the sand in the North of England a couple of years ago thanks to a beach wheelchair we were delighted to see that St Andrews now have them for hire so that we could easily get Quinns onto the sand. The wheelchairs and the newly installed Changing Place toilet adjacent to the beach convinced us that St Andrews was the place for our beach day.

Although we arrived quite late in the day St Andrews Beach wheelchairs were able to provide us with a hippocampe wheelchair for Quinns and off we went onto the sand. Unfortunately, the smallest wheelchair was already being used so the one provided was slightly too big for him.

Quinns trying to smile but looking quite uncomfortable in a hippocampe beach wheelchair.

Despite our ace team working on making him comfortable in the one we had he just wasn’t feeling it. Whether it was size of the chair, the rush to get in or simply that it wasn’t his own custom wheelchair we’ll never know. After a while we decided to abandon the hippocampe and get him out to sit on the sand where he was happy in my arms for the next couple of hours.

Eventually we had to return the hippocampe and get Quinns’ own wheelchair back. Having to use Quinns’ non-beach chair to get him off the beach again made us really appreciate the ease of inclusion the beach wheelchairs provide.

Although it wasn’t Quinns’ day it was amazing to have had the opportunity thanks to St Andrews Beach Wheelchairs. If he had been in a better mood, we would almost certainly have got him down to the sea where his Big Sister spent her entire time swimming.

We will definitely return to St Andrews to try again and also can’t wait to try out the brand new wheelchairs at Nairn beach next summer!

Lochore Meadows Country Park

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I have been keen to visit the play park at Lochore Meadows Country park since it opened in March this year and it did not disappoint! It had so much more than the usual basket swing and accessible roundabout. There was something for Quinns to explore in all parts of the park which meant he was able to keep up with his friends and play both with and alongside them.

Anita and Quinns smile from on top of a piece of play equipment with sunshade above them.

After exploring the fully enclosed park which included going up and down the ramps of the two main pieces of climbing equipment he then went across the suspension bridge multiple times as his friends bounced along with him.

Rather than go for his usual high-backed swing (we weren’t sure the style of swing would work for him) we instead waited for our moment and took over the piece of equipment all the kids wanted to go on, the one with the biggest thrill. I’m not sure of the name of it, but it could be a flying chair swing or a carousel sky swing!

Quinns smiles strapped into his Go-To seat in a high backed swing seat which is spinning around with all his friends.

Five of them could sit on the individual seats and it spun them around and outwards. It’s the first time I’ve seen one with a high back seat. So with the help of the trusty Go-To seat Quinns got to experience a new sensation and be as adventurous as everyone else.

Of course, he tried out the wheelchair swing and the accessible roundabout. Apart from all that there was also at least one accessible trampoline, a rainbow tunnel, a double slide and multiple sensory boards plus things I may not have spotted in the busy-ness of the park.

Quinns throws his head back in excitement as Anita holds on tight while the two of them spin on a wheelchair accessible roundabout.
Quinns grins a broad grin as his friend pushes him on the wheelchair accessible swing.

It is the first time I’ve felt disappointed to leave a park with Quinns as I didn’t feel like we had explored everything it had to offer. With a café right next to the play park and a Changing Places toilet in the nearby education centre though I have no doubt we’ll be back at some point to play some more!

A week exploring Changing Place Toilets

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The first stage of planning adventures from our base at The Rings in Fife was working out the location of the facilities for days out. Each new day and every adventure during our week long holiday meant an opportunity to try out a different Changing Place toilet.

Quinns facing away from the camera with a view out to sea with the St Andrews Changing Places toilet to his right.
Anita and Quinns smile into a mirror in the Changing Places toilet in St Andrews.

In St Andrews the new Changing Place toilet is right next to the beach and not far from the town centre so it was ideal for a spot of lunch followed by an afternoon on the sand with the help of a beach wheelchair.

Quinns and Anita smile for the camera in the Changing Places toilet at The Helix. There is a photograph of the Kelpies on the wall behind them.

It was great to have an opportunity to check out the new Changing Place at The Helix: Home of the Kelpies as it’s so close to home and I know there’s been a big campaign to get it there!

Quinns smiles in the Changing Place toilet in the education centre in Lochore Meadows Country Park.

Lochore Meadows Country park is the accessible park of dreams with so much for Quinns to do we didn’t get it all done! The café next to the park and the Changing Place toilet in the nearby outdoor education centre makes it possible to stay all day.

Dark blue toilet door with the words Changing Places toilet in bold yellow writing in the centre.
Quinns smiles inside the Changing Places toilet in the Dundee Science Centre.

We had a choice of two Changing Places in Dundee City Centre, at the Dundee Science Centre or at the V&A. Since we tried out the one in the V&A a couple of years back we decided to give the one in the Science Centre a go this time.

It’s disappointing that neither the Scottish Deer Centre nor the Falkirk Wheel had Changing Place toilet facilities when both attractions have ample space for them. Luckily the Deer Centre was just a short distance from our holiday accommodation, and we combined our Falkirk Wheel visit with a trip to the Kelpies so it all worked out for us but it could have been a very different story.

The Rings holiday cottage in Fife

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Our holiday to The Rings accessible holiday cottage in Fife this summer was everything we hoped it would be!

Quinns and Anita standing beside The Rings holiday cottage with a view over Scottish farming countryside on a sunny but cloudy day.

It’s never easy finding holiday accommodation for a large group – there were 14 of us in total (8 adults and 6 children). It’s even harder when one member of the group is disabled and has a lot of requirements but this cottage managed to tick all the boxes.

The Rings is a specially designed single level property which is completely adaptable depending on how many people will be staying there. We used most of the space available including two kitchen/living spaces which became one when the folding wall was drawn back. There was just one unit blocked off for other people to use independently from our group.

A view of The Rings holiday cottage from the road with it's living roof shining in the sun.
The Rings holiday cottage from the garden space in front of it. The living/kitchen spaces all had large windows overlooking the beautiful view.

Our family of four had two adjoining bedrooms which meant Quinns could share with his Big Sister, but I was right next door if he needed me. We had our own small kitchen consisting of a sink, hob and fridge so I could prepare Quinns’ feeds and medications without interfering with the main kitchen shenanigans.

Quinns had a profiling (hospital) bed with ceiling track hoists in both his bedroom and his wet room (they also provided a shower chair). Every room had its own wet room and at least another two rooms had ceiling track hoists. There was also a separate unit with washing machine and dryer which I had to use more than once during our stay.

Quinns watching TV in his profiling bed while holding onto the ceiling track hoist.
A small studio kitchen covered in Quinns' feeding pumps, syringes and empty feed bottles.
Wet room with separate bath and shower with a shower chair just in view.

The rural location was idyllic, the owners were incredibly helpful and the entire set up meant I was able to comfortably care for Quinns all week long so we could enjoy many adventures with our friends.

Changing Places Awareness Day 2024

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Today is Changing Places Awareness day. Another opportunity to speak about the Changing Places toilets that make our life with Quinns easier. They allow us to get out and about with him and make his life as exciting as possible.

This week I’ve been sharing posts from Changing Places UK about the numbers of Changing Place toilets across the UK. The numbers are shockingly low. There are only 17 in airports, 199 in parks and open spaces and museums, galleries and art centres have 99. Only 123 hospital and medical centres have one out of a total of 1148 and out of the thousands of pubs and restaurants there are 16!

We started raising awareness for these facilities in 2018. For the last 6 years I’ve taken a photo of Quinns and his Big Sister in every one of the facilities we’ve visited. They know the drill!

Quinns (3) and his big sister (7) posing in a Changing Places toilet in 2018. You can see the adjustable height bench, hoist and screen in the background.
2018
Quinns (8) and his Big Sister (13) posing in a Changing Places toilet in 2024. Quinns is in his sling on the hoist with the adjustable height changing bench behind him.
2024

It is usually with great excitement we try out a new one because each time we know that the world has opened another little bit for Quinns. Our recent visits have included Waverly Station in Edinburgh, Silverburn Shopping Centre in Glasgow and Tebay Services Northbound.

Quinns posing in the Edinburgh Waverley Train Station Changing Place toilet.
Waverley Station
Quinns and his Big Sister posing in front of a mirror in the Changing Place toilet in Glasgow's Silverburn Shopping Centre.
Silverburn Shopping Centre
Quinns and his Big Sister posing in the Changing Places toilet in Tebay Services Northbound.
Tebay Services Northbound

Only four out of the five hospitals across the UK where Quinns has appointments have one. Luckily, it’s one closer to home that doesn’t but luck shouldn’t really come into it when it comes to toilet facilities.

The journey to and from London for hospital appointments is now easier due to the recent investment in Changing Places in service stations. We have a choice of where to stop along the route.

When we’re not travelling, we have our favourite places to go simply because of the toilet. Quinns loves the cinema and swimming so Macrobert Arts Centre and The Peak are our go to local days out. Quinns was delighted to have his drama group’s short film premiere hosted at the Macrobert Arts Centre where his friends were able to be happy and comfortable.

Someone asked me recently whether there were any new Changing Places facilities in our local area. I was sad to say there have been no new ones since our campaigning began. In our entire local authority area, there are only 3 registered and open to the public (Macrobert Arts Centre, The Peak and Blair Drummond Safari Park). There are also ones in the Community hospital, local College and a resource centre bringing the total to 6.

This Changing Places Awareness Day my Wishlist for potential Changing Places facilities includes the Thistles Centre in Stirling, Stirling Castle, Stirling Train Station, the Wallace Monument and Bridge of Allan (which I’m hopeful is happening albeit very slowly). 

What’s on your Changing Places wishlist? If you want to find out more about the campaign or find out what you can do to help you’ll find lots more information on the Changing Places UK website