Anything London can do, Brighton can do... a bit less impressively, but with bags of personality. Standing at 45 metres tall, The Brighton Wheel offers an alternative view of the city after burrowing your way through the bustling North and South Laines. I'm not flash enough to charter a helicopter so this was my best chance to see Brighton from above.
Having enjoyed a spin in the sun with a group of friends last summer, I decided to upgrade to the Champagne Experience with my other half. Excited at the prospect of a 'Sky Voyage' VIP style, we booked a slot for our anniversary. The package costs £35 per couple onsite (£31.50 online). This seemed quite a leap from the £8 standard entry per person, but I was open to see what my extra pennies had bought us.
Our queue jump privilege wasn't necessary on such a quiet morning, but I am sure it is a welcome perk at the height of summer. The VIP lounge is essentially a well-dressed marquee, but it served its purpose. Unfortunately, due to high winds the marquee took a bit of a whipping, but we took this all in good humour and enjoyed the lovely view of the waves crashing at the Palace Pier and pebble beach. We were greeted with two glasses of champagne. I say glasses, I mean disposable plastic flutes. Health and safety a must, it did somewhat diminish the glamour of a glass of bubbly. Nevertheless, it was still champagne inside and it was all heading down my neck. This led to my next slight gripe. No toilets. As a person with a bladder the size of a thimble, I began to regret enjoying my champers with such gusto. Having been served a drink, I was hoping they would provide me with a facility in which to return it. Never mind. On with the wheel!
The Champagne Experience entitles you to your own standard capsule, as opposed to sharing up to a six person capacity. For £60 per couple you can ride in the comfortable VIP capsule complete with tinted windows if you don't want to be looked at by mere mortals in the surrounding pods. Our capsule remained firm and sturdy against the wind and the sun made an appearance. Hooray! The journey is rather charmingly narrated by long-term local, Steve Coogan. His cultural significance is probably lost on international audiences, but his reassuring voice helps the string of facts to jump out from around the locale. An annotated map would have been handy at this point. Still, it is fun to scan the streets below and point wildly in all directions.
We were treated to a generous six rotations which allowed us to take in the great views and capture some really stunning photographs.
Definitely fit for a one-off experience. Pop it on your to-do list to see beautiful Brighton in all of her glory. read more