As this is the season of sun, sea and holiday snaps I have added some photos of our visit to The London Eye and I am dying to tell you all about it. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin….
Having heard it can get pretty busy with anything from 30 minutes to an hour waiting time between purchasing tickets and actually getting onto the Eye we had decided to pre-book the tickets. This was a benefit because waiting time in queues was reduced and we knew what time out flight would be so we could plan our whole day. We actually booked a Discovery flight, which is a couple of pounds more. With the Discovery flight you get escorted onto the Eye, bypassing all the queues and you have a guide who explains about the creation of the Eye from conception to completion, as well as explaining about the view.
Hopefully my memory will serve me correctly and as I act as your guide and explain the background behind the pictures I took (See the London Eye Album).
Cleopatra’s Needle is genuine egyptian rock with genuine carvings and has sat at its current location for over 100 years. To get it there it was carried up river by boat. During its journey up the river a wave hit the boat and the obelisk fell overboard. There it lay at the bottom of the river for about 8 years before it was retrieved.
On each side of the obelisk is a sphinx. These sphinx were placed there to protect the obelisk from evil forces. If you look carefully at the monument you will notice the sphinx are facing in to the obelisk. Unfortunately they are the wrong way round, they should be facing outward if they are going to protect. They have been like that for so long they are not going to be changed now.
If you look at the base of the monument you will notice damage to the rock. There is a plaque on the obelisk explaining these scars were caused by a bomb dropped by the Germans in the first raid on London in 1917.
Charing Cross Station
The building is designed to look like a train coming out of the station. To be honest I can’t quite see it. My wife explained it to me but it just doesn’t look like it to me.
Big Ben
Do you know how Big Ben got its name? Big Ben is not actually the name of the clock or the building. Big Ben is the name of the bell that has chimed so faithfully for so many years.
The bell got its name because it was noticed that the bell looked like the man who designed it (that reminds me of a joke, but now is not the time).
The London Eye was only meant to be a 5 year project to celebrate the millenium. The owners just recently signed a new lease for the next 25 years.
I highly recommend visiting the London Eye, if the reason you have/will not is because you are scared of then don’t worry, it goes so slowly and gently that you won’t even know you are moving. You are descending without realising you have reached the top. Some people have asked me how much it sways, well I didn’t feel it sway at all.
If you really are not, never ever going to travel the Eye then visit the London Eye site
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