London Eye

: Problems have hit the new record breaking
: Ferris Wheel, the London Eye, as a cable
: snapped when it was being winched up. I'll
: let you know when they get the thing
: vertical. Apparently it will take about
: half an hour to do one revolution so it is
: more of an observation platform than
: anything. Fortunately the cars are enclosed
: so you won't get too cold, and it moves
: slowly enough to allow people on and off
: without stopping. Cal

I'm glad they are having problems with it! It's just another example of money being wasted on London. Why on earth would anybody want to pay £8 quid to look at one of the most uninspiring city landscapes there is? Greg

I'm glad they are having problems with it! It's
: just another example of money being wasted
: on London. Why on earth would anybody want
: to pay £8 quid to look at one of the most
: uninspiring city landscapes there is? Greg

What are you talking about. You may find it terrible, but I think it will be a unique experience and something very interesting. It will also offer some outstanding views.

Someday I will make it to out to take a ride.

Eric Gieszl

I'm glad they are having problems with it! It's
: just another example of money being wasted
: on London. Why on earth would anybody want
: to pay £8 quid to look at one of the most
: uninspiring city landscapes there is? Greg

I'd heard it was between £10 and £20! The wouldn't say the view is uninspiring though -- I went to a party up the Telecom Tower once and the view was stunning.

Cal

: I'm glad they are having problems with it! It's
: What are you talking about. You may find it
: terrible, but I think it will be a unique
: experience and something very interesting.
: It will also offer some outstanding views.
: Someday I will make it to out to take a
: ride. Eric Gieszl

Better be quick. It's got a five year planning permit and the operators have said that if it fails to do well in London, then some other city will get it (Liverpool has been mentioned). I don't doubt for one minute it will be a good experience - it's a very complicated structure. But what annoys me is the vast amount of money lavished on it simply because it's in London. The Millennium Dome is another example. As for the cityscape, cities like Edinburgh, Glasgow, York, Oxford and even dare I say Manchester are more impressive. Just my take. Greg.

Better be quick. It's got a five year planning
: permit and the operators have said that if
: it fails to do well in London, then some
: other city will get it (Liverpool has been
: mentioned).

I wasn't aware of this. But how can this not be a success. London is a tourist mecca and people will flock to such an attraction, so long as it is not too expensive.

If you put a pub in one of the cabins, I am sure the locals would even flock to it.

As for
: the cityscape, cities like Edinburgh,
: Glasgow, York, Oxford and even dare I say
: Manchester are more impressive. Just my
: take. Greg.

Well, when you put it that way then I can see your point, that you think these other cities have more impressive cityscapes.

Eric

Better be quick. It's got a five year planning
: permit and the operators have said that if
: it fails to do well in London, then some
: other city will get it (Liverpool has been
: mentioned). I don't doubt for one minute it
: will be a good experience - it's a very
: complicated structure. But what annoys me is
: the vast amount of money lavished on it
: simply because it's in London. The
: Millennium Dome is another example. As for
: the cityscape, cities like Edinburgh,
: Glasgow, York, Oxford and even dare I say
: Manchester are more impressive. Just my
: take. Greg.

Ah but Greg, I could take you up there and show you where I work, and maybe even where I live on a clear day!

Cal

: Better be quick. It's got a five year planning
: Ah but Greg, I could take you up there and
: show you where I work, and maybe even where
: I live on a clear day! Cal

I guess you will be able to see that far! But you shouldn't have said that Cal, now you'll have blokes with binoculars camped up there waiting for a glimpse of you going to bed.... ;-))

Greg x

: Better be quick. It's got a five year planning
: I wasn't aware of this.

It is extremely unlikely that this white elephant will ever be relocated to another city. If it is a failure in London (which I do hope) the enormous cost of dismantling it and re-erection is unlikely to put most (sane) people off.

:But how can this not
: be a success. London is a tourist mecca and
: people will flock to such an attraction, so
: long as it is not too expensive.

This is exactly the sort of attitude that ensures no other UK cities get a look-in with innovative tourist attractions. It is also quite wrong! Look at the Trocadero centre - desperately short of guests and bleeding money. And it is not the only attraction in the capital which is struggling.

The amount of money being pumped into London for the millennium is appalling - the 'Dome' looks mediocre at best and yet millions of pounds of public money are being thrown at it. The 'Wheel of Misfortune' is likely to end up costing several times the publicised amount and whilst it is private finance, this money will have to be found from somewhere and we consumers will have to foot the bill.

The Thatcher government did its very best to promote London and the South East and effectively stuck two fingers up at the rest of the UK by crippling its manufacturing base.

The Lottery was supposed to redress the balance a bit but instead we find that more is being spent in London and the SE (surprise, surprise) even though the majority of tickets are bought in the Midlands and the North of England.

This wheel should have been a flagship attraction at any of the other big cities where it would have made a huge impact - Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Liverpool etc, but instead it will be fighting for revenue in a city which has enough tourist attractions to last a lifetime.

Sorry for the rant - I'll get off my soapbox now. Its just something that gets my goat.

It is extremely unlikely that this white
: elephant will ever be relocated to another
: city. If it is a failure in London (which I
: do hope) the enormous cost of dismantling it
: and re-erection is unlikely to put most
: (sane) people off. This is exactly the sort
: of attitude that ensures no other UK cities
: get a look-in with innovative tourist
: attractions. It is also quite wrong! Look at
: the Trocadero centre - desperately short of
: guests and bleeding money. And it is not the
: only attraction in the capital which is
: struggling. The amount of money being
: pumped into London for the millennium is
: appalling - the 'Dome' looks mediocre at
: best and yet millions of pounds of public
: money are being thrown at it. The 'Wheel of
: Misfortune' is likely to end up costing
: several times the publicised amount and
: whilst it is private finance, this money
: will have to be found from somewhere and we
: consumers will have to foot the bill. The
: Thatcher government did its very best to
: promote London and the South East and
: effectively stuck two fingers up at the rest
: of the UK by crippling its manufacturing
: base. The Lottery was supposed to redress
: the balance a bit but instead we find that
: more is being spent in London and the SE
: (surprise, surprise) even though the
: majority of tickets are bought in the
: Midlands and the North of England. This
: wheel should have been a flagship attraction
: at any of the other big cities where it
: would have made a huge impact - Manchester,
: Birmingham, Newcastle, Liverpool etc, but
: instead it will be fighting for revenue in a
: city which has enough tourist attractions to
: last a lifetime. Sorry for the rant - I'll
: get off my soapbox now. Its just something
: that gets my goat.

I couldn't have said it better myself Fred. I'm gald I'm not the only one who thinks it's a waste of money!

Greg

: It is extremely unlikely that this white I
: couldn't have said it better myself Fred.
: I'm gald I'm not the only one who thinks
: it's a waste of money! Greg O.k this will probably sound strange... but I think that like the millenium dome the money for this project could have been put to a much better use rather than for something that will just make the rich richer!.. I mean I'm a t college at the moment and want to go to uni in a years time to do an engineering degree so that I can design fair ground rides. and eventhough my career ambition is to design rides of this kind I still think the money spent on this project is just a total and utter waste! Sorry for rabbiting on but I really hate to think of millions of pounds going to waste! Tamara