SteveHB Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Er, wouldn't be "Big Willy", would it? No of course not Mod Note! .. )))) A couple of shots taken this morning (0700Hrs) give a good idea as to the size of the thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayleaf Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Well,I'm still not convinced it will attract people, still, for £6.50 you can say hello to Vulcan face to face! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest carlie167 Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Mod Note! .. )))) A couple of shots taken this morning (0700Hrs) give a good idea as to the size of the thing. Told you it was mahoosive!! Nice pics SteveHB. Think it's got to be worth having a whirl on though, if only to get a close up of Vulcan. P.S. I am suitably chastised for my previous comment!! :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Been to town this morning. It is complete, standing at the old Goodwin Fountain part of Fargate. Can get around it quite easily and there is a Sheffield Council market in Fargate this weekend so should be OK for our Continental guests next week. It is big, complete, but not open yet. As I was supposed to be shopping I only had my mobile phone camera with me so only VGA quality digital pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Correct! (I didn't think that many people outside Chicago knew of the Columbian Exposition--if you haven't read it, I recommend 'Devil in the White City,' an excellent book on events around the exposition.) The Sears Tower is now the Willis Tower, much to the chagrin of many Chicagoans. The other well-known skyscraper in Chicago is the John Hancock Center--known affectionately by Chicagoans as "Big John"--you can probably therefore guess what the new nickname for the Willis Tower is. Jeremy Thanks Jeremy, if I get the chance I will try to read the recommended book. I thought that the USA and Canada were well known world wide for their expositions, EXPO'S and World Fairs which they seem to have a bigger share of than anywhere else in the world. EXPO 67 (1967 that is) in Montreal is well remembered due to the coverage it got on TV in Britain. The Judy Garland film "Meet Me In St. Louis" (1943), one of her best films if not just for the pieces of music it contains is all set around the 1903 world fair which was in St. Louis, - a real event not just something invented to make a film around. So perhaps not so suprising that I have heard of the Chicago exposition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 (on my way back off holiday, in Reims) Expect bad weather (the British summer) It will probably get to you as soon as you come out of the British end of the Channel Tunnel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gramps Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Well,I'm still not convinced it will attract people, still, for £6.50 you can say hello to Vulcan face to face! You can see a lot more than his face from up there ! :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syrup Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Nearly missed this fairly easy one Jeremy. The Ferris wheel, named after George Washington Ferris (another American George duba-ya) of Pitsburg Pensylvania designed and gave his name to the first big wheel. It was built in 1893 for the Columbian Exposition in Chicago Illinois (the connection with where you live) As an aside to where you live, I see in todays news headlines that Chicago's famous Sears Tower is to be renamed after a British insurance company, although the headline I got this from doesn't say which insurance company. I don't suppose it will be the Chuchill tower Or even the Sheila's Wheels tower (which is actually NOT Australian as many people think) Pretty certain it will be a company few people have heard of. Can I claim my 10 points on your starter? The George Washington Ferris looks a very large beast. http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/1893fair.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield History Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 There you go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveHB Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 The first night of illumination, and it looks great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 The first night of illumination, and it looks great. At night when its lit up even the sugar cube/cheese grater and "that tower" look great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukelele lady Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 This is taken from the Ski Village, Parkwood Springs. Can you spot the "Wheel" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 This is taken from the Ski Village, Parkwood Springs. Can you spot the "Wheel" Interesting items on local TV news today. On Look North Charlotte Leeming went for a pre public opening ride on it with Councillor Paul Scriven to do an interview. Councillor Scriven give it a good review and a boost for the City but it seems that both of them are terrified of heights. If you missed it, it mat be repeated on the 10:30 broadcast tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart0742 Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 There you go Any of our members paid their £6.50 yet to have a go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Any of our members paid their £6.50 yet to have a go. The wheel that was in Barkers pool last October was charging £3, Now, 9 months later, its costing £6.50. I make that an annual inflation rate of just under 300% How rapid does inflation have to be before it becomes "hyperinflation"? How long will it be before you need a second mortgage to pay for a ride on the wheel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukelele lady Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I went on the wheel on Thursday , they charge £4.50 for children and £5 for over 60s. If you want a family ticket its £18 but it didn't say how many that included. They ask you to share a capsule when busy but I can't understand why they only have one half of the wheel occupied when the people were stood in quite a long queue in the pouring rain [i must have been mad] so why does it go round only half full? I took my camcorder but couldn't see much for the rain on the windows , I don't know if it was condensation or if it was rain coming in but I'd got water running onto my head and back. It swings a bit at the top when the wind gets up and we went round three times. The kids loved it and after we got off , yes the sun came out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveHB Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Family Ticket, (max. 2 adults + 2 children) A full price list here including pre pay online ticket prices .. www.worldtouristattractions.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 They ask you to share a capsule when busy but I can't understand why they only have one half of the wheel occupied when the people were stood in quite a long queue in the pouring rain It depends what you mean by "half the wheel" Usually with a big wheel they try to "balance the load" by placing people at opposite ends of the wheels diameter. To do this means that the capsules cannot be filled sequentially unless there is a sufficiently long queue to fill most of the wheel in one go. Most of the best views are probably waiting in a capsule while the wheel is being filled and emptied as this will require the wheel to be stationary while people get on or off at the bottom, leaving you stuck in various high positions with fixed views until it is your turn. I assume that the 3 times you went round the wheel was constantly turning so was after the wheel had been filled to present queue length (which may not be enough to fill the wheel) and before they start messing around to get everyone off for the next queue to get on. I also noticed that one of the capsules is marked "VIP". Except for Charlotte Leeming from Look North, a few other TV news reporters and half the City council after a bit of a freebee who else uses the VIP capsule? Can it be hired for an even more extortionate sum than £6.50? ...and who thought of calling those seating pods CAPSULES anyway? Its a big wheel, not a manned vehicle from the American space programmes of the 1960's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest carlie167 Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Well I was in town yesterday, and went on the wheel in the afternoon with Mr Carly. The queue wasn't too long although you do have to wait to board as they do have to eaqualise the pods. I liked the fact that unless it's really busy you don't have to share with anyone else, (good job with the racket I was making as the wheel moved up while loading) I thought it felt much higher than it looks from the ground but I thoroughly enjoyed it and the afternoon was nice and clear so the views were good. We took some photos but I dont think they do the views justice. Anyway here they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Well I was in town yesterday, and went on the wheel in the afternoon with Mr Carly. The queue wasn't too long although you do have to wait to board as they do have to eaqualise the pods. I liked the fact that unless it's really busy you don't have to share with anyone else, (good job with the racket I was making as the wheel moved up while loading) I thought it felt much higher than it looks from the ground but I thoroughly enjoyed it and the afternoon was nice and clear so the views were good. We took some photos but I dont think they do the views justice. Anyway here they are. Nice pictures though Carlie, nice close up of Vulcan on top of the town hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest carlie167 Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Thank you very much Dave. Here are a few more, I'm afraid we did go a bit mad with the camera! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest skeets Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Apparently they're not called Ferris Wheels any more... I overheard some British tourists on the bus to work this morning. Pointing at the Ferris Wheel on the pier: "Look they've got a London Eye!" Your starter for ten: Where, and when was the first Ferris Wheel? (Hint, knowing where I live will give you a clue). Jeremy l gues at isle of man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 l gues at isle of man You're too late skeets! I have already answered Jeremy's poser in post #19. It was in Chicago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunsbyowl1867 Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 CAn't see this has been posted http://www.thestar.co.uk/video/Sheffield-f...heel.5478824.jp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukelele lady Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 I'd love to know what dunsbyowl is saying about the ferris wheel. Is it just me having this problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now