The South end: The London Eye

The London Eye is now ten years old. I remember seeing it, lying on its side on the Thames just before it was hoisted into the air ready for its impending flights.

I wasn’t convinced at first, surely it was just a bike wheel, and what was so special about that? Neither was I reassured that it wouldn’t collapse shortly after its installation, and I didn’t really trust those stainless steel bolts, especially as it suffered from technical hitches at first, delaying its opening to the public.

Slowly though, it has become as recognizable a part of the London skyline as Tower Bridge, the Gherkin (which came a few years later) or Big Ben. Somehow, the largest wheel in Europe has become a part of the fabric of London; it’s as much a part of the cityscape as the sky into which it reaches. Richard Rogers, designer of the Gherkin, among other things, described it as being the equivalent of the Eiffel Tower.

"Flights"as they’re rather pretentiously called, do not come cheap, but deals are possible if you know where to look (mainly the internet) but the views are, of course, spectacular. On clear days you can see as for miles and on not-so-clear days it is still worth a visit.

Not only is it a fantastic place to take photos from, it doesn’t matter which direction you point your camera in, you’ll get a great picture. The wheel is also a beautiful object to take photos of. Its simplicity is part of its genius and at night, illuminated by whatever coloured lights are glowing from the South Bank, it retains a magic all of its own.

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I read that Stainless steel bolts with a higher content level of chromium have a lustrous mirror like surface, which if kept constantly clean, always looks as good as new.

Posted by: stainless steel | September 08, 2010 at 07:23 AM