Wheel of Birmingham

The Wheel of Birmingham, also known as the Birmingham Wheel and informally as the Birmingham Eye, refers to two convert|60|m|ft|0 tall Ferris wheel installations at Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. The first opened on November 6 2003, [Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/features/2003/11/birmingham_wheel.shtml|title=Brum's Big Wheel|publisher=BBC|date=2003-11-05|accessdate=2008-09-06] and its replacement opened on October 21 2004. [Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/features/2004/10/birmingham_wheel.shtml|title=Brum's Big Wheel is back!|publisher=BBC|year=2004 |month=October|accessdate=2008-09-06]

Both were designed and built by the Ronald Bussink company, Ferris wheel and observation tower ride specialists, and operated by World Tourist Attractions, a company set up specially to run the Birmingham Wheel, and which has gone on to provide a variety of wheels to cities around the UK and beyond.

The first wheel, the Roue de Paris, came from a three year position in Paris initially for a three month visit. When the ride opened for a press day, the operators had forgotten to switch off the original commentary, which pointed out the sights of Paris in French.

The following year, WTA rebuilt the Roue De Paris wheel in Manchester, while providing a brand new wheel on the same site in Birmingham. Again, it was owned by World Tourist Attractions Ltd. but had commentary by 96.4 BRMB DJ, Phil Upton. Like all subsequent World Tourist Attractions wheels, this one consisted of sealed carriages with air conditioning and heating, and a premium "VIP" car.

The two temporary wheels in Birmingham were initially viewed as the precursor to a plan to install a permanent wheel in the city. Plans showed a "tracked" wheel from the Swiss firm Intamin. A "tracked" wheel involves the wheel itself remaining motionless, and the cars travelling along a track mounted on the perimeter of the structure (a wheel of this design can be seen at LaQua in Tokyo). The future of this plan in uncertain.fact|date=September 2008

Contrary to popular preconception, the current wheel operating Manchester, while operated by World Tourist Attractions, is not the second Birmingham Wheel. On September 5 2006, the second wheel closed due to the purchase of the wheel by an Australian company. The wheel has been dismantled and transported to Australia. [Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/5317602.stm |title=Two hours' notice as wheel closes |publisher=BBC News |date=2006-09-05 |accessdate=2008-07-28]

Since operating the Wheel of Birmingham, World Tourist Attractions has purchased and operated several wheels, mostly of similar designs to the second wheel, but in various sizes. In the UK, WTA wheels have opened in Manchester, York, Belfast, and Hyde Park in London. Summer 2008 sees the company opening wheels in Greenwich and Windsor (a different wheel to the one that opened there in 2006).

References

External links

* [http://www.worldtouristattractions.co.uk/ World Tourist Attractions Ltd - Birmingham Wheel website]
* [http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=30927&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=11616 Images of the Roue de Paris when in Birmingham]
* [http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=47262&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=11616 Images of the second wheel including construction pictures]
* [http://www.star-one.org.uk/default.asp?postid=18 Image of the second wheel near end of dismantling and comment]
* [http://giantrides.com/ Ronald Bussink Professional Rides - designer of both Birmingham Wheels]