Tour presenter:
Lee Perkins - The Locationist.
Is a former BBC & ITV tour guide of over 15 years. Along with working as a Cbbc & Longleat event host & studio audience warm-up on numerous shows & events.
Credits include, 'Deadly Days Out with Steve Backshall,
Alesha Dixon's Cbbc Street Dance Stars, 'Sam and Mark's Friday Wind-up', ' Blue Peter's Big Olympic Tour and BBC's 'Make It Digital UK Tour'.
Accessibility Statement
The Locationist Tour Birmingham & Manchester is an external guided ground-level walking tour of film and tv locations along streets, visiting different neighbourhoods of the cities, which involves moving at a moderate pace over short distances in between locations. We have designed the route so that we can be accessible. For example, when you contact us to let us know if you require any enhancements for accessibility, or if you have reduced mobility/are a wheelchair user, we can provide an alternative route to avoid dropped curbs, slopes, cobbles, or any restrictive areas.
The Tour is a timed walking tour and we advise guests to consider the following:
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This is an active walking tour; guests are advised that they should have a good level of fitness and be prepared to walk around multiple streets for up 2.5 hrs plus with no scheduled breaks.
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There is no official seating available at locations on the tour apart from coffee & pub seating areas outside on route.
The Tour is predominantly outside and guests should wear appropriate clothing for the weather condition [ We will send you a tour itinerary pdf with the weather report and other helpful info the day before your tour] (i.e. waterproof jacket, an umbrella, sun protection & shades). Sensible footwear is strongly recommended due to the duration of walking.
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As the Tour is outside, all lighting is from natural light apart from some interior locations on the Birmingham tour.
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Guests are advised to stay hydrated during the Tour, especially in the summer months. Alcoholic drinks are strictly prohibited.
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Prams and pushchairs are allowed on tours but may find uneven surfaces more difficult to navigate and busier areas with the general public. Please note we do not have storage facilities for prams, pushchairs, luggage or suitcases.
Birmingham Car Parking:
Queens Drive - New St Station/Grand Central B24ND
Manchester Car Parking:
GREAT NORTHERN, Peter Street, Manchester, England, M3 4EN
Tours are delivered verbally by The Locationist tour presenter in the English language.
Visitors with a visual impairment, are welcome to join a tour, but to be more comfortable it may be advised to bring a support worker or a friend with you to help navigate. The tour host will be able to explain things in more detail.
A printed abridged version of the script/ main points is available for guests with hearing difficulties: please ask by email in advance: thelocationistHQ@gmail.com
Wheelchairs and mobility vehicles
Any guests who use a wheelchair must be capable of travelling throughout the length of the Tour, some parts of which will be on uneven terrain. Manual wheelchair users are recommended to bring a personal assistant with them.
Guests with motorized wheelchairs must ensure they have sufficient battery power for the duration of the Tour.
Assistance in maneuvering the guest using a wheelchair cannot be provided by the Tour staff.
Please note we are unable to rent or provide wheelchairs or mobility scooters to any guests.
For guests that identify as neurodivergent.
Every effort has been made to make our tours neuro-inclusive and our tours can easily be adapted. We do advise if you are a group that need everything below please contact to arrange a private tour. Please take the following into consideration:
CROWDS & NOISE: As it is a walking tour across areas of city centres, the tour will likely pass through busy crowds of people with some areas being noisy as we walk past bars and coffee shops. Alternative routes are available if you would like to avoid this. We cut through some areas like this for time restrictions on the tour.
TEMPERATURE CHANGES: On the Birmingham tour there will be temperature changes as we enter interior filming locations as well as exteriors, from air temperature-controlled environments to then being outside. There are 2 situations this will occur. Please let us know if you would prefer to not visit the interior locations
FLOOR TEXTURES: Along the tour route, there is an array of different floor textures from cobblestones and a multitude of paving slabs to tiled areas.
LIGHTNING: Along the tour route lightning changes from natural daylight in more open spaces, the intensity depending on the time of year, to natural daylight nearer buildings with shadows, to interiors with fluorescent lightning and very bright lights. No strobe lighting on any part of the tour, apart from digital display billboards. The tour never runs at night time.
QUIET SPACES: There are plenty of quiet areas along the tour with coffee shops & quiet green spaces, which we can use if you need time away from the tour. No need to worry about the time, there is always a buffer of an extra 30mins attached to every tour in the event if required for enhanced accessibility.
Please do inform us if you need time out and then we can find somewhere for people to rest their senses in a safe space with no noise, dim lighting, lots of personal space, and no strong smells. Please note: The tour presenter will carry a fresh set of in-ear headphones if a person wants to listen to music [some film instrumental scores works for me] -when they are in a safe place.
INTERACTION WITH GUESTS: The tour consists of lots of different people of up to 20 guests, which can be individuals, families and couples. There is an interactive film quiz during the tour, which happens on route to different locations, for any guests with social anxiety or who experience panic attacks - please let us know if you would prefer not to take part.
STRONG SMELLS: In some areas along the tour route, we walk past food courts and as a neuro-divergent, this potentially could be overstimulating - on the Birmingham tour we start near an area packed full of many restaurants with vast menus, and many different smells because of that. Again we can avoid this area completely and bypass this area. Loud music again in this location. In Manchester, we walk past lots of bars and coffee shops so strong coffee and food smells there too. Again we can bypass these areas, and use the buffer of 30mins on the tour if it extends the running time.
ACCOMMODATING STIMMING:
Some neurodivergent people engage in self-stimulatory behaviour like rocking, blinking a lot or repeating words to help self-soothe. The safe places in coffee shops and quiet green areas along the tour route will be used in the event of this being required.
If any guest needs enhanced accessibility/requirements for their tour, we would advise you to contact us as we can then go into more detail about what to expect on the tour, the order of content, and discuss any individual requirements to make their visit even more comfortable for them and to have the best time possible.
Evacuation, fire or security alert
In the unlikely event of an emergency, we have a set of evacuation procedures. Should you require help, your tour guide will assist you with any evacuation. In the event of a city centre security alert, please takeinstructions from the city centre management teams and local police. The tour presenter will carry a tour mobile too.
Medical facilities or emergencies
Manchester tours:
Medical attention can be found at Salford Royal Hospital – Stott Lane, Salford M6 8HD
Birmingham Tours:
Birmingham city hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH
A large print version of this accessibility statement is available by contacting us via the contact us section on the main website.
Assistance dogs
All registered guide dogs, hearing dogs, and medical alert dogs are welcome. Guests wishing to attend the Tour with their assistance dog should contact us in advance to arrange this.
Identification for the dog is required when you visit, such as a formal jacket or relevant documentation.
We do not allow any other dogs or pets to attend the tour and we are unable to look after any dogs or pets.
Facilities
Birmingham: Grand Central public toilets [However the meeting point for the tour is outside a coffee shop]
Manchester: Toilets in 'Almost Famous' Great Northern.
Please check the date and time of your Tour. You are expected to arrive for the Tour at least 10 minutes before your allocated Tour time, as shown on your ticket.
