A giant ferris wheel proved such a draw last year that the City Council are bringing it back again this year. The Big Wheel will be located in a different spot from last year to offer an alternative bird's eye view of the City Centre for two weeks over Christmas and New Year.

Last year the wheel was installed in the Peace Gardens but this year it will be located at the top of Fargate. At 30 metres high, almost 10 metres higher than the Winter Garden, the wheel will offer unrivalled views of the City Centre.

The wheel will operate throughout the Winter school holidays, from Saturday 18 December 2004 until Saturday 8 January 2005. The wheel will even operate on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Like the Winter Garden it will only be closed on Christmas Day.

The big wheel has twenty-four cars, which hold up to six riders giving a total of 144 passengers at a time, and is covered with thousands of coloured light bulbs. The Council have negotiated with the operator to keep prices affordable and rides will cost £2 for adults and £1.50 for children. The big wheel will be located at the top of Fargate.

Steve Jones, Deputy Leader Sheffield City Council said, "The Big Wheel proved so popular that we've bought it back again this year but we've changed the location to the top of Fargate so that riders will get a different view of Sheffield. It's a great way to send out the old year and see in the new."

might be being a bit pedantic here.....

would you really get that much of a differrent veiw from there as its only 100m or so from where it was last time and i would guess at approxametly the same hieght?

having said that i wil still go on it again :)

dave

are we a bit slow or something. Birmingham have had a giant ferris wheel since November. And it's about 18 storeys high, what's that in metres?

Originally posted by Cyclone
are we a bit slow or something. Birmingham have had a giant ferris wheel since November. And it's about 18 storeys high, what's that in metres?
Birmingham WHEEL FACTS

40,000 litres of water in the ballasts

Weighs 300 tonnes

21 spokes

50,980 light bulbs

60 metres high

Built in Holland

A new one would cost £2.5 million to build

It's the world's largest transportable observation wheel

....and Manchester have had the one that was in Birmingham last year (which was in Paris the year before) spinning around for weeks now.
Don't know how much Manchester is, but the Birmingham one is a fiver.

third rate half arsed arsed Sheffield does it again...

Manchester and Birmingham have the right ideas with thier wheels, not the poxy fairground ride that Sheffield has. :rolleyes:

Wheel of Manchester
Until the end of February 2005 Exchange Square

The world's largest transportable observation wheel makes its debut in Manchester this Christmas. Originally located in Paris where it lit up the skyline near to the Champs-Elysee for two years, from late October, it will take pride of place in Exchange Square.

Lit by over 50,000 lights and at 60 metres high, it will transform the skyline and offers spectacular views across Manchester and beyond. It's a real Christmas treat for everyone to enjoy.

Tickets: Adults £5, Senior Citizens £4, Children £3.

Notice how both Birmingham and Manchester are claiming the worlds biggest wheel.

Hmmmm.

Now, onto you wingers, c'mon, what is with you ?

Why do the council even bother, you won't be happy whatever, at least the Sheffield wheel is at the top of the hill, so that should give a better view than a 30m height advantage anyway.

It's also less than half the price, that's got to be good at attracting visitors.

What is it with all this "my wheels bigger than yours" BS anyway ?

So that makes the Manchester one, and the Birmingham one BOTH the largest?!?
I think Birmingham is biggest...

If Sheffield decided to pay even more money for a larger wheel you'd all be complaining about what a waste of money it is..can't win.
Personally I don't live in Birmingham or Manchester so couldn't give a stuff if their wheel does cartwheels whilst singing jingle bells...Sheffield's wheel is the one that matters and its a great idea.

i agree with wibbles! lets just enjoy it and never mind the other cities - we don't live there! shall we complain about london and its Eye ??

Having seen the one in Birmingham last year and now the new one that's arrived this year, I would say this year's is bigger but not as pretty - the old one had lights which made it like a sunflower. Someone mentioned that last year's (now in Manchester) was originally in Paris - anyone know if they've taken the French commentary off it yet? Last year it did amazing views of Birmingham accompanied by commentary (in French) of Paris landmarks! Will Sheffield one have a commentary? Hope it'll be a genuine South Yorks one

last years (manchester this year) has open carriages though i think? This years has closed ones.

I get to see the birmingham one twice a week, so why shouldn't I compare it to the one in Sheffield?
Does it have a point, is it to attract tourists? If so then we're currently languishing in 3rd place on the ferris wheel front, not to mention being months behind the leaders. Better not to bother than to do it so badly I would have said.

Originally posted by Cyclone
If so then we're currently languishing in 3rd place on the ferris wheel front, not to mention being months behind the leaders. Better not to bother than to do it so badly I would have said.
Jeez..bah humbug Victor. Its only a feckin ferris wheel. I'm sure Sheffield will be seriously considering its Ferris Wheel position next year what with it languishing way back in 3rd place in the Ferris Wheel charts.
To me the size of a Ferris Wheel is way down the list of things to gripe about.

Originally posted by Cyclone
Better not to bother than to do it so badly I would have said.
?????

What do you mean "so badly", as it stands we have a better "wheel" than any other city or town in England (other than London, B'ham or M'chester), and ours is MUCH cheaper to go on.

I for one am pleased it will be here again, c'mon see the glass as half full, rather than half empty...

...or in this case, 9/10ths full.

Cheer up you miserable so-and-so, it's nearly Christmas.

don't worry, i'm not miserable. Perfectly happy.

Just not that impressed with a 30m ferris wheel. Sorry if I didn't ooh and ahh enough for you.

Originally posted by Cyclone
Sorry if I didn't ooh and ahh enough for you.
It's not about oohing and aahing, it's about maybe being a little pleased that Sheffield is one of only 4 cities in the country doing this sort of thing for its residents. Just think about that for a moment...

...see, that's a more posative way of looking at life, as opposed to being a complete Victor Meldrew.

We are all grown up (I think) what does it matter about the size of a ferris wheel? The kids, who it gives plenty to talk about when they have been on it will not be bothered and if we didn't have anything on at christmas people would be complaining Sheffield doesn't do anything if it's too big we have spent too much money. We don't seem to be happy unless we complain!

Went on the wheel in Brum last weekend - very nice it is too, during the evening at least.

Much more to the point, they've done a fantastic job with the city centre. I'm from south of Birmingham but haven't been back into town much in recent years, however the place is so incredibly different now - I couldn't even find my way about! Some of the canal area is lovely, some of the more business/cafe areas are lovely, the new shopping area is great altho full of chain stores as usual.

Honestly, sheffield is 10-15 years behind what they've done there. Same with Manchester and Leeds. How did we get so left behind? (I'm sure meadowhall is part of the reason).

The peace gardens is a start, but until they stop town being anywhere near so stretched out, we're always on a loser IMHO. The city centre here is poor, depressing, tacky shops for the most part, dour in looks, etc. Its not the current council's fault, but they have a hard job on their hands.

I love sheffield, I really do, but the city centre still sucks.

I think I got off the point here...!

I ask you Sheffield, if Birmingham or Manchester jumped of a cliff would you follow?.

If we really wanted to impress the country all we have to do is build a giant roller coaster running in and around park hill. Stick that one in your millenium eye london!.

Linky Link (http://members.lycos.co.uk/ctrlaltdeluk/sf3.jpg)

Theres a pic of the construction of said wheel for anyone not seen it

went on the manchester one a couple of weekends ago and was really good, very well organised too.

The Sheffield one really doesn't look as good it seems a bit of a half hearted attempt and can't really see it helping to attract people to the city, unlike the Birmingham and Manchester ones that have had a lot of publicity.

Its just so disappointing that Sheffield tend to be behind at things but yet its supposed to be a big city

Lets just hope the people of Sheffield enjoy the wheel

Birmingham have made the biggest wheel so as to get people away from the poxy accents on ground level and rise out of the polluted air for a few seconds, experiencing another world!:P

Not that Im bitter that we've got a Digestive biscuit for a wheel :gag:

I really enjoyed the Wheel last time, and actually got interviewed on Radio Sheffield about it! Will definately go on again this year! :thumbsup:

On Fargate in the middle of town, just outside Virgin.

Anyone been on it... what's the view like?

I was tempted, but it was bloody cold on groud level, so must been really cold up top!


TH

I should have spotted that thread was already there. What a berk!

we went on the wheel and although quite petrified i enjoyed it. :o

i can't believe the handbags at dawn this threads created! all over size eh? :rolleyes: :D the wheels great, a lovely attraction especially all lit up at night. the kids all love it and for one our daughter was awestruck by it. she's had a truly quite magical time over these last few months experiencing rides such as the carousel, the helter skelter, reindeers and the ferris wheel. rides you only seem to be able to get at the coast yet they are brought and set up here in sheffield for us to enjoy.
i for one am happy my daughter has experienced some of the magic i had as a kid by the seaside. traditional rides that no longer seem to exist.:clap: :clap: :clap:

Does anyone know what time it closes at night?

Originally posted by cruella
Does anyone know what time it closes at night?

Im sure it's meant to be 10 o clock at night but we went a couple of thursdays ago about 9:30 and it was closed. That dayit was very windy tho so i dunno if it was because of that.