There is a point during certain experiences when you discover the point of no return. I once looked out of a plane window and realised I was in a tin can at 35,000 feet and the realisation nearly made me cry. Likewise on realising that I was in labour with my son I suddenly wanted to run away from my body - no chance. There was a point on the London eye when I realised that I was in a perspex Kinder egg dangling over the Thames with at least another 13 minutes to go before my feet touched the ground. This, combined with the tourists having a domestic over photo taking made me sit down and contemplate what on earth I was doing up there.
We really need to find a new religion!
The website for this giant folly is great, really informative and easy to navigate. It is found at www.ba-londoneye.com.
If you are wondering what I am talking about let me fill you in. This was the Millenium project that succeeded - and it wasn't even a Millenium project because the competition had no winner. The architects Mr and Mrs Marks and Barfield respectively decided to go ahead with their superlative ferris wheel and British Airways spotted a good thing and became partners. It currently rakes in a fortune for them.
Everything about it is superlative - it took the largest cranes to build it and five countries to supply all the stuff. The website has oodles of facts for those interested in its construction.
Each capsule can hold up to 32 passengers. I think this must be unbearable. We only had about twenty and there was not much room left. You queue up and wait for a capsule and then jump on whilst it is still moving [They will stop it for disabled passengers - so no worries about having to do the Highland fling.] The capsule is reinforced glass and steel with excellent viewing points but a disconcertingly small floor. Its a long way down trust me!
I noticed that the steel is made by Skoda which does not fill me with glee. It rises by degrees to 135m above the Thames - it is gradually moving round and takes about 25 minutes to complete the circuit [This may seem like a life time]. Looking out is just amazing and I would recommend buying one of the mini-guides for £2 so you can spot all the landmarks. We went at night so the lights across the metropolis were stunning. Looking down through the cables and bars is a bit icky though.
It is closed for most of January [2-5th, and the 27th being the only available dates] for maintenance and I was quite impressed with the information available on the safety of the thing. If you have a problem during the flight there is an intercom and first aiders on site which is reassuring.
Booking a flight was extremely easy. I booked on line choosing a date that was free from the online calender. They accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Delta over a secure site. Once you have booked, the tickets are non-refundable. When you arrive on the day you just swipe your card through the machines in the ticket hall and Voila! your tickets arrive. It took less than 1 minute.
Price wise it was quite reasonable. I booked the flights with a River Cruise which cost me £19.50 per adult, my 4 year old went free. This included 50p for administration. If you just want the Eye it is £11.50 per adult, £6.00 for children over 5yrs. Senior citizens go for £10.50 and I notice there is a special student deal at the moment with entry into the Tate modern for £8. If you have the dosh or want to get hitched in a bubble then it will set you back a mere £399. Whatever floats your boat!
The flights start at 9.30am and finish at 8pm. We enjoyed the night time flight and it is a shame that they do not do one at dawn - how cool would that be?!
We got off at Waterloo and walked for 5 minutes to get there. You can't miss it! You can also use Charing Cross and walk along the bank of the river which is always a pleasure. It is virtually opposite Big Ben and next door is the Aquarium which is also cool.
The views are spectacular - I am a geographical ignoramus, so I will not attempt to give you a virtual tour - the website, mini-guide and actual experience far exceed my literary ramblings!
I would recommend this as a very cool thing to do - just have a swift vodka and tonic before and don't contemplate the insignificance of being whilst you are up there.
Hope this has been of some use. Thanks for reading, Mel
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