Molly's Festive Favourites

Our final festive feature comes from Review Coordinator Molly, who reflects on her experiences through the years and shows that celebrations do not always have to be bright and noisy.

I have found that my favourite Christmas activities are those close to home. I find smaller events make me feel safer and more welcome as a wheelchair user. A bonus is that those events are often supporting local businesses and venues.

I find local, smaller events provide me with a much more enjoyable experience, this lets me pick events at locations I know have good accessibility, such as accessible toilets, welcoming staff, and a safer environment. These are places that I know I can count on either because I have visited before, or others have told me about a positive experience there.

My local markets often have lowered counters, which means I can actually browse the stalls as well as comfortably interact with vendors. I often look for events taking place at venues such as small theatres, libraries, or historic buildings. I can usually rely on these venues to have a warm, clean accessible toilet.

Another aspect I love about these smaller venues is how welcoming and accommodating the staff usually are. Smaller events mean that the staff generally know the venue well, and in my experience, I find staff are much more willing to take the time to provide assistance. Whether that is giving directions, suggesting a quieter space, or finding appropriate seating. Over the years I have found myself revisiting familiar venues.

I have been to large-scale Christmas markets in city centres like Birmingham, Liverpool, and of course London's Winter Wonderland, but after a couple of disappointing visits, I have not returned.

A couple of years ago, I went to Birmingham Christmas Market and just a few weeks ago, I stopped by Liverpool’s one too. I find that these markets can be difficult to navigate for anyone with mobility issues or visual impairments and in addition, the transport links and parking options can be poor as well. I have found that the ground can be muddy, have uneven matting, or just have such old cobbles and paving stones that it is difficult to navigate in a wheelchair.

Combined with the poor contrast and dim or intermittent lighting, incredibly high counters with no accessible lowered area, or a lack of reliable step-free access, my previous experiences of these larger Christmas markets have left me feeling quite unsafe. I usually end up finding somewhere quiet where I will not get bumped into by others and keep warm.

Another festive favourite of mine is to go to candlelight concerts or movie screenings with an orchestra. As a big movie soundtrack fan, these always make me feel super festive. These types of events are becoming more popular and so there are more than ever to choose from.

I have found that the larger venues that put on these types of events usually have good accessibility. They have step-free access into the venue as well as dedicated seating for those with mobility issues. There is often a dedicated access host who is responsible for making sure you have everything you need to have an enjoyable experience. I have found this is a great way to do something that feels more special – and is even a great gift!

As I have gotten older and my mobility and health have changed, some years have been very difficult to get into the Christmas spirit. I have ended up feeling more like the Grinch than Buddy the Elf! But finding enjoyable things to do, in safe environments, has been a wonderful way of reminding myself how much joy this time of year can bring.