Recently that changed with the launch of two hot air balloons which are permanently tethered to strategic points in Vauxhall and near London Bridge, but bigger and better news still is the arrival of the British Airways sponsored London Eye, billed as the world's highest observational wheel. The Eye stands a whopping 135 metres high on the South Bank between Waterloo and Westminster Bridges, right opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and provides stunning views over central London and beyond. Although a last minute technical hitch stopped the wheel spinning at its planned VIP opening on New Year's Eve, organisers still aim to launch London's newest attraction at the end of January, 2000. Visitors will be treated to a gently paced half-hour ride in space age capsules holding 25 people each, hopping on and off as the wheel moves. Tourist chiefs predict that the Eye will attract 2 million visitors a year for the next five years.
Some mystery surrounds the big wheel's long term future.
Officially, it will have to be shifted to pastures new after the five years are up but many commentators believe the Eye's popularity will ensure it a longer life span on the South Bank. For those who prefer a more traditional look at London from a height, try visiting Eyes Over London , LondonNet's guide to the best pre-Eye viewing points around the capital. The British Airways London Eye, as it is officially known, has drawn interest from half a dozen other cities. Officials and developers in the six, which include Sydney, Johannesburg, Boston, Toronto and two other unnamed cities, have asked BA if it would allow them to replicate their creation. The London Eye cost 35 million UKP to develop and build.