Pimp my London Eye
The London Eye at Night
After nine years of faithful service, the London Eye is finally getting a bit of an upgrade.
Current owner Merlin Entertainments Group will be installing £12.5m worth of spinning rims, fat exhausts and tinted windows to the popular tourist attraction before turbo charging it so passengers will be able to enjoy the sight of their own vomit whizzing over their heads.
Sadly not, but it will at least be serviced and upgraded.
Instead, each of the 32 pods will in turn be taken down, floated down the Thames to Essex, (what did they do to deserve that?) replaced by a weighted dummy capsule then re-installed when work is complete.
The pods will have new heating, ventilation and entertainment systems fitted including ceiling mounted TVs and improved wi-fi facilities.
Work is due to finish in time for the expected explosion of visitors attracted by the London Olympics in 2012.
For more about the former Millennium Wheel read this very interesting piece in The Guardian.
London Eye Facts
The Eye stands 440 feet high (134 metres)
It takes 30 minutes for the Eye to revolve fully
On a clear day it is possible to see up to 25 miles (40 kilometres)
The Eye has 32 capsules, one for each London borough
Each capsule has a capacity of 25 passengers
Over 30 million people have ridden in the London Eye
Each capsule weighs 10 tonnes
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