Standing
at a height of 60 metres the Birmingham Wheel towers over Centenary
Square. The Ferris Wheel was never intended as a permanant feature of Birmingham
having arrived in the city from Paris where it was previously located.
The
Wheel is owned by World Tourist Attractions Ltd and the wheel
was transported from Paris to Birmingham on 22 trucks. Using water
as ballast to avoid having to dig foundations for the support, the
wheel features 42 six seater gondolas.
Passengers on the Wheel had
to listen to the French commentary about the River Seine and the Eiffel
Tower. The company put this embarassing hitch down to technical
difficulties although the commentary never changed for the duration of the wheel's stay until September 2006.
A trip
on the Wheel
of Birmingham lasted around 15 minutes.
