BRING YOUR BABY GUIDED LONDON WALK: Women of Abney Park Cemetery - Halloween Month walk
Description
A very special tour of Abney Park Cemetery for Halloween!
'Bring Your Baby' Guided London Walks are sensitively devised to suit parents and carers of even the tiniest babies to enjoy London’s history. We can stop whenever you like to feed and change - without the stress of feeling you are holding up the group. Because every participant brings their baby, patience and baby’s needs are at the forefront of each walk.
You are welcome to bring friends and family who do not also have a baby.
Walk starts and ends: By Abney Park Cemetery Egyptian Gates, 215 Stoke Newington High Street, London, N16 0LH
Midway stop for an hour at Abney Park cafe for refreshment and/or lunch and baby change before you head back into the cemetery for the second part of the tour.
Please note that although this tour sticks to the main paths of the cemetery where possible, if the weather has been very wet before the tour it may be muddy in parts. Please use your discretion as to whether you would prefer to bring a buggy or sling/baby carrier if there has been a lot of rain before the day of the walk.
Walk description:
The two volumes of 'Women from Hackney’s History' include some extraordinary stories of women whose final resting place is Abney Park Cemetery. The first book resulted in a film - 'Women of Abney', available to view on the Hackney Society’s YouTube channel.
This walk - by the editor of the second book - concentrates on those who feature in the second book, but we’ll also fit in the Bostock Lion where menagerie owner Susannah Bostock rests, and as many music hall stars as we can!
Women whose graves you'll visit and hear about on this walk:
- A Victorian magician.
- The first woman to demonstrate a scientific invention at the Royal Society, who was also a top opera singer. She was proud enough of both talents to have them mentioned on her gravestone.
- The music hall couple who both cross-dressed.
- Those who devoted their lives to helping others - one who ran a children’s home, the Salvation Army women, and two lifelong friends who lived and worked together in the poor areas of Islington.
- A nineteenth century missionary in China.
- An animal rights campaigner involved in the founding of the RSPCA.
- The first headmistress of Skinners School in Stamford Hill.
If on the day of the walk we are forecast to have very bad weather, I may have to postpone the walk. If it's a bit of light rain we will cope!
Every walk follows the usual health and safety guidelines, such as crossing at traffic lights where possible and having hazards pointed out to you at the start and along the route.
There may be times we have to stand in direct sunlight (although I will always choose shade where possible). Please bring all the necessary sun protection for yourself and your child.
It is recommended you bring appropriate drinks and snacks for the duration of the walk, especially if the walk takes place at lunchtime.
I will contact you with booking confirmation after you book. I will supply my mobile number in case of emergencies or in case you are running late. I will also ask you to provide me with a mobile number so you can be contacted for the purposes of the walk, but this is not for marketing purposes. Please note that if you are more than a few minutes late I may ask you to catch up with us.
If you like the look of any of my walks, but would prefer to book me privately, please make enquiries at Lucy@bringyourbaby.org. This may particularly be the case if you have people interested who do not have babies.
Important notes about booking:
- Please feel free to invite baby-free friends.
- Customer refunds must be requested at least 24 hours before an event starts. We cannot guarantee you can move your ticket to another date but you are welcome to enquire at Lucy@bringyourbaby.org
- If for any reason Bring Your Baby Ltd are forced to cancel or postpone an event (for example in the case of illness or extreme weather conditions), you are within your rights to request a refund, though we will always suggest an alternative date for you to attend.
FAQs
- Can I bring my buggy?
Yes! All our walks are designed to be step-free and we judge capacity based upon the number of buggies we can safely accommodate on each walk - this is why we ask for number of buggies on checkout.
If you are physically able to wear a sling - I know some people physically can't for many reasons - it's a good idea to chuck one in your buggy in case baby needs a cuddle during the walk!
- Are walks step-free?
Yes! When I created these walks they were designed specifically to be step-free.
This doesn't include kerb drops, which are sometimes unavoidable.
- When and where will I be able to change my baby?
We always include a halfway stop where there are proper baby change facilities available and opportunities to get food and drink.
Please do not ever worry or be embarrassed about having to ask to stop - this is what I designed Bring Your Baby Guided London `Walks for when my son was a baby. Everybody on the walk is in the same boat as you and will understand.
If you find you urgently need to change baby during the walk please let your guide know. If you bring a portable change mat it may be possible to look for a place en route to stop and do this, or if you are not comfortable doing so, you can ask your guide to drop you a pin to your mobile phone so you can leave and catch up with the group after changing. It is imperative you let your guide know you are leaving. Please do not assume they have noticed you leave as they have a lot of people to monitor at the same time as guiding! :)
- Where and when will I be able to feed my baby?
We always include a halfway stop where there are proper baby change facilities available and opportunities to get food and drink and feed baby if they are awake There will also always be seating for you to sit down and feed.
If you find you urgently need to feed baby during the walk please let your guide know (though it has been known for some savvy parents to breast-feed from their sling at the same time as walking!)
Please do not ever worry or be embarrassed about having to ask to stop - this is what I designed Bring Your Baby Guided London `Walks for when my son was a baby. Everybody on the walk is in the same boat as you and will understand.
If you need to stop to feed before or after the halfway stop, it may be possible to look for a place en route to stop and do this, or if you are not comfortable doing so, or need more than a few minutes, you can ask your guide to drop you a pin to your mobile phone so you can leave and catch up with the group after feeding. It is imperative you let your guide know you are leaving or stopping. Please do not assume they have noticed as they have a lot of people to monitor at the same time as guiding! :)
- Can I bring friends without babies?
Yes! `There only needs to be one person in your group with a baby, so feel free to invite friends, parents, grandparents, neighbours...!
Every adult needs a paid ticket.
Please indicate the number of buggies when asked at checkout if you are buying multiple tickets.
- What do I do if I am late for the walk?
You will always be provided with your guide's number (please check your junk email if you have not received this before the walk), so please call or text them to let them know. If you will be really late they can drop you a pin so you can catch up.
- Can I bring children older than babies?
This is at the discretion of parents, but most walks have points which will be along busy roads, and so children need to be monitored at all times - by the parent or guardian, not your guide!
Some walks involve a lot of walking, so it is advisable to bring a buggy for children if they are still using one. Children's scooters are not suitable or permitted on our walks.
Please note that occasionally the content on our walks may be unsuitable for younger ears, though your guide will alert you to this if relevant, and will try to subtly adapt their words!
If older children are restless during the walk we have a halfway stop for lunch and baby change where they could stretch their legs at the same time. Occasionally we pass through a park or traffic-free area where they can get out of buggies to stretch their legs, but this is not guaranteed on every walk.
- Can I bring my dog?
This is at the discretion of your guide for each particular walk, so please check ahead by emailing Lucy@bringyourbaby.org
In all cases, dogs need to be well-behaved, and owners aware that some customers on our walks (including both adults and children) may have fears around dogs, so sensitivity is required at all times.
- What do I do if I find I can't attend any more?
We have a 24-hour refund policy, which includes moving your ticket over to another event, so as long as it's within this timeframe you are able to cancel.
The reason for this policy is that if I can't refill the space within the 24 hours I still have to honour to pay my guide. Thank you for your understanding.
If you have missed this timeframe for refunds we would still appreciate you letting us know you will not be attending so the group isn't waiting for you. You will have your guide's number emailed to you before the walk, so please contact them directly.
- I need extra time at the halfway stop
Most of our walks provide an hour (a few are 30 minutes) for feeding and changing halfway, but we understand the unpredictable nature of babies, who may have been asleep during lunchtime or suddenly fill their nappy at the end of the lunch stop! Please let your guide know if you need more time and they can always drop you a pin so you can catch up.
It is advisable to use the baby change at the start of the halfway stop if babies are awake, but know this isn't always possible.
Some of our customers may have school pick-ups for older children, or other appointments to get to after the walk, so we appreciate your consideration in feeding and changing within the allocated time if possible.
Gallery
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