EDitorial ± 18-Feb-2002

Eye Life

What could be more romantic on Valentine's Day than being whisked away by locomotive to the city that never sleeps? OK, London, not New York. And with the children. Oh, and the in-laws. With no free seats for most of the way on the train. Still, nice idea.

Emerging blinking into the sunlight from Westminster tube station, we beheld the all-seeing London Eye! Bloomin' tall (135m, says the guide). Didn't appear to be moving, either, though that was no more than the Eye playing a trick upon the eye.

Take one capsule at 12 o'clock

Gail had the foresight (keep those puns coming) to pre-book tickets, which after a dart into County Hall meant that we were entitled to join the end of a lengthy queue. Being a British Airways project, the ticket stated:

Boarding commences from the Boarding Gate, 30 minutes before your flight
Luckily the queue progressed PDQ, and we were soon aboard. You're free to move around once inside, and some folk obviously prefer to not go too close to the glass walls. Theo, displaying no fear at all, attached himself to a window, unlike his much more cautious sisters. The day was clear, and the views were everything you've read about.

Sound advice

It takes a full thirty minutes to go round; strangely it's over all too soon, and the descent seems much quicker than the going-up. Good fun, and surprisingly relaxing too.

If You Take Away With You Nothing Else

  • book ahead: you know it makes sense
  • stroll along: a short walk away is Tate Modern and the wobbly bridge, still being finished
  • check your watch: we made it to the Tower of London for 4.06pm; it closes at 4pm (d'oh!)

Be seeing you!

Ed