Overview

CC Blooms has been around for 34 years. It is not stuck in the past, but – like much of Edinburgh – in an old building. Regulations keep coming up when I talk to people in venues about the challenges of making their spaces more accessible. When I first arrived, I expected to have to ask for help hauling my powerchair up the steps at the entrance, but I was positively surprised when ramps were brought out and I was one step closer to a late lunch or maybe early dinner. It took me a while to order because we got talking to one of the long-time staff about the history of the place and its struggles with accessibility. The very patient server came back several times while I kept getting distracted from choosing between the several vegan options for lunch deals, small plates and mains. We learned during the conversation that the ramps were first brought in when a regular started needing step-free access and I started dreaming of a world where you could become a regular even if you needed step-free access right from the start. I suppose the thing to do is to keep showing up, to keep asking and to refuse to be forgotten.

Transport & Parking

I was wheeling from Princess Street via St Andrew’s Square and Elder Street. This is not the only way, but if you do go down Elder Street, keep in mind that only the left-hand sidewalk is step-free. If you are coming from Waverley and don’t mind a steep hill, you can take the back exit from the station and come up Calton Road. CC Blooms is close to the Picardy Place tram stop and between the Leith Street and Elm Row bus stops. There is no parking right by the venue. You might be able to find some on-street parking in a side street, but I expect it would not be easy or closeby.

Access

There is a step and then another few steps up to get into the building. There was no buzzer, so luckily I was not on my own, so my friend could go inside to ask the staff about ramps. They have a short and a longer ramp, but I recommend using the longer ramp for both parts, as the short ramp ended up quite steep. Once you are inside, the ground floor is all on one level. There are tables with booth seats on one side and moveable chairs on the other side on both sides of the entrance, elevated booths in the middle opposite the bar and more tables and chairs at the back of the venue. All chairs are cushioned with backrests and have no armrests. The stools at the bar have no backrests. The bar has no lowered section, but the till is next to a gap between the counter and the wall. There is a staircase with 20 steps and a railing on the inside leading down to The Lab, where you can find another bar, high tables and bar stools and a dance floor/event space. This space is four steps down with a railing on either side. I asked about alternative formats for venues, which they didn’t have but made a note to create.

Toilets

The ground floor bathrooms are off a corridor to the left of the seating area at the back. There are two doors: the one on the right is blue and has a sign for urinals and a cubicle and the one on the left is pink and has a sign for cubicles. Both bathrooms have doors that open to the inside, leading to a small vestibule and another door opening to the inside. I would not have managed to go into the bathroom with my chair, but at least the corridor outside was big enough to leave it and to turn around in. The blue bathroom on the right has three urinals and two sinks. The taps have push buttons to activate them and there is a mirror above the sink. There is also a cubicle that is a little bigger than the ones in the pink bathroom on the left. There is a hand dryer on the wall by the door. There are no paper towels. The pink bathroom on the left has multiple cubicles with very narrow doors and three sinks like the ones in the other bathroom. There are a hand dryer and a pad dispenser on the wall as you come in.

Staff

Shell and Niamh were lovely and considerate. It was nice to see how keen they were to hear feedback on how to improve everyone’s experience. Shell even took notes!

Anything else you wish to tell us?

Despite their access issues, I really appreciated the bathrooms not being gendered. This should be commonplace especially in queer venues!

Photos