We arrived at Waterloo Station by train after a half day of sightseeing at Hampton Court Palace. As we were looking at our pocket map and trying to figure out how to get back to our hotel, we noticed that the London Eye is across the street from Waterloo Station. We decided to check it out before heading back to the hotel.

The London Eye (a.k.a. the Eye) is a 450-foot observation wheel whose purpose is to provide tourists with a panoramic view of the city. Instead of seats like an amusement park Ferris wheel, the Eye has glass capsules with benches that can accommodate groups of people. There is a ticket hall in front of the Eye that houses a ticket counter, a souvenir shop, and an exhibit that explains the engineering challenges that were overcome during construction of the wheel.

We were told that the lines to ride this attraction can be quite long at times. Fortunately, this was not the case for us. We arrived there around 6pm and were able to purchase our tickets and board the Eye right away. The ride (or flight experience as it is referred to in the brochure) lasts for approximately a half hour. The rotation of the wheel is slow enough that your body does not feel any severe motion effects as it might on a thrill ride. As the London Eye slowly revolves, you are able to get a nice view of London and some of its famous landmarks — especially Big Ben and the parliament buildings.

It had been raining off and on that day but by the time we were on the Eye, the rain was coming down in buckets. This was unfortunate for us because we were not able to take any good pictures of the city. Instead, we had to deal with beads and streaks of rain water on the glass of our observation capsule. While I recommend taking a ride on the London Eye, my advice is to avoid this attraction if it is raining.

Having missed the IgoUgo opening night extravaganza, we arrived at the London Eye full of perky enthusiasm to find a clutch of people I vaguely recognized, trying to look unrecognizable in an array of hats and sunglasses. It was clear that the excitement of the previous evening had got to a number of the party, and they were not all as pleased to meet the Tomato as he was expecting. He has a method for dealing with this, however, and Mutt was on the receiving end of two days of particularly hard stares.

To build up anticipation for what was to come, our ‘flight’ was delayed long enough for a few hangovers to wear off and for the cheeky one to work his grubby magic on a number of the party. When the call came to board, we headed the charge for the pods – a year of preferential boarding of aeroplanes does that to a family - only to be informed that buggies are not allowed. The Tomato unleashed inside the bubble without restraining mechanism? Is that wise? A further blow was the discovery that we could check only the buggy. The multitude of bags, coats, food and assorted stuff had to remain with us. Bear this in mind, all who follow.

Still, such setbacks often have fringe benefits. We rejoined the rear of the party, largely consisting of friendly female IgoUgo staffers. Smiles and attention for the Tomato, along with a distinct lack of beards (it seems to be facial hair that perplexes – as if he’s not sure which way round the head is). The day was looking up.

The London Eye is a spectacular way to see a spectacular city. Its clever design, placing the cars so they are always on the outside of the structure, ensures incredible views for most of the 30-minute journey. The historic city spreads out below, and everyone begins to snap photos and share their observations. Just over the river to the west is a strip of the most familiar real estate. The imposing opulence of the various government buildings that line Whitehall is book-ended by the reassuring Big Ben and the surprisingly diminutive Nelson’s Column. At the top of the wheel, 135 metres above the Thames, the 360-degree view is complete and encourages a little awe--that’s if you’re not crawling around on the floor or trying to put your hand in the woefully inadequate air-conditioning unit, of course.

The Blonde and I took it in turns to apologise to our fellow passengers, as the Tomato did his best to trip them up or use them as a climbing frame. The Blonde took the opportunity to correct any preconceptions about her that may have developed from my journals, and I mostly sweated.

The London Eye is great. It’s even better than that when it's free and enjoyed with good company, but it does still justify the somewhat steep £11.25 (online) fare.

I recall being at a staff Christmas party and being ordered by my boss to enjoy myself. Cracking near-the-truth jokes about him, I realised, was perhaps not the best way to go about it. The Millennium celebrations also had to be enjoyed, and umpteen crackpot schemes were put forward to celebrate it. Among the worst was the Millennium Dome in London, and among the best, an idea by Julia Barfield and David Marks – British Airways’ competition winners.

They wanted to present something symbolic that people could participate in and enjoy. They came up with the idea of a giant observation wheel. Perhaps not entirely original; for one was built for Chicago’s Worlds Columbian Exposition in 1893. It became known as the Ferris wheel, after its designer - his name becoming synonymous with such wheels. These are traditional structures at great occasions of celebration and have been included at many of the great expositions throughout the world. David and Julia were therefore bang on with their idea - they intended it to represent the turning of the century.

The British Airways’ London Eye is the largest of its kind ever to be built. At a height of 135m (450 feet) and 1,600 tons, it is a new London landmark - looking for all the world like a giant bicycle wheel. Positioned at Jubilee Gardens on the South Bank, it is in the dead centre of the city. It was an instant hit. People make special journeys to see the giant Wheel and to be transported high above London. It turns very slowly and, viewed from a distance, might even appear stationary.

It only stops to allow disabled people on board. My wife and I piled into the capsule on the move along with 18 others. Bench seats are positioned in the centre. These proved insufficient, for when I tried to sit down, I discovered a bottom had beaten mine from the other side. No matter - as the Wheel rose our expectation grew and we were soon racing around trying to identify what we could see and snapping everything in sight. The higher it soared, the more celebratory the experience became, as we enjoyed the awe-inspiring views over the heart of the city.

Well-known landmarks and buildings of central London spread out in a great panorama before us. These are not identified in the capsule, but we found it fun to see how many we could identify. Some to look out for are: The Imperial War Museum; The Globe Theatre; The Oval Cricket Ground; The Tate Gallery; Westminster Abbey; The Houses of Parliament; The Tower of London; St. Paul’s Cathedral; The National Portrait Gallery; Buckingham Palace; The British Museum; and The Telecommunications Tower.

Three years of effort went into the project. In recognition of their work, the imaginative design, and the pleasure it gives to millions of people, the couple have been awarded the MBE.

Tickets: Adult £11.50

The London Eye is a feat of modern engineering - it is beautiful to look, at and the views when you are on board are stunning. It is located on the banks of the River Thames and was voted the world's most popular tourist attraction in spring 2005. It is 135 metres above London and is the world's tallest observation wheel.

The capsules, or pods are made of glass and are sleek, modern, and totally see through. You get a 360 degree view of the city and beyond. Apparently on a clear day you can see 25 miles in each direction. I have been on it twice - both times on cloudy days, but you still get good views.

The pods are air-conditioned (and heated in winter), have a large bench seat in the middle and each one can accommodate 25 people. They feel very spacious, never cramped with lots of space for everyone to enjoy the view. The wheel constantly moves, but very slowly, so you do not feel any movement at all - it is a really great experience.

The trip takes about 20-25 minutes. You can see many famous landmarks including Buckingham Palace and St Paul's Cathedral. The view of the Thames and the Houses of Parliament is fantastic and unsurpassed.

The London Eye is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the UK and has the capacity to handle 1,500 visitors per hour. As it is so popular there are huge queues to buy tickets. We booked on-line before our visit and saved 10% on the quoted price, but more importantly saved at least one hour of queuing just to buy the tickets. If you pre-book, you just put your credit card in the machine and the tickets are generated immediately.

You do however still have to queue to get onto the wheel. We stood in line for just over an hour. This was on a cold March morning - I dread to think how long you must have to wait in summertime when the crowds are at their peak.

The London Eye is open in winter from 10am to 8pm and in summer from 10am to 9pm. It costs £14.50 for adults, £7.25 for age 5-15 years, and under 5's are free.

The closest tube stop is Westminster. If you time your arrival right, when you come out of the tube stop you are right next to Big Ben and can hear it chime the hour. We arrived just before 11 o'clock, which was really good timing. Big Ben is really impressive - designed by AW Pugin, Big Ben is actually not the name of the clock, but the name of the bell in the clock tower. The largest bell in the chime weighs close to 14 tons. The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben are the ultimate symbols of London, and as such really are a must-see.

The London Eye is one of the best-known sights in London nowadays, and it is definitely worth a trip on it. When inside one of the capsules, you can see for miles around London, and there are may photo opportunities. It takes about half an hour to do a complete trip, so there is plenty of time to admire the view and snap away until you get the photo that you really want.

The ticket itself does not require booking, but this can be done online before you go if you want to go at a specific time. There are also reductions in the price if you book online in advance. It is, however, still fairly expensive for one trip.

Despite the price, I would say that the London Eye is now a must with any trip to London, as the views are spectacular.