I just heard about the £12.5 million revamp of the London Eye.

Do you know what they’re doing?

They’re taking each pod off, one at a time, and replacing them with a temporary one that doesn’t carry passengers. Each pod is then floated down the Thames to Essex, before being transported to Worcester. The refit takes place, the pod is returned to its rightful place and the next one gets the same treatment.

There are 32 pods.

They hope it will be finished by 2012.

I have a couple of questions/suggestions:

1. Why not refurb the pods in place?
2. Why not stop it for a couple of weeks to get the upgrades done all at once?
3. Do people really need ‘better wifi’? Is the City of London not interesting enough?
4. Why are they going the wrong way along the Thames before heading to Worcester?
5. Couldn’t they find a workshop nearer?

Here is a BBC story about the first pod being taken off.

My favourite quote: “No doubt Londoners will be very intrigued to see capsules floating down the Thames again.”

Anyone else think this is just a bit of an attention seeking act?