Mystery as Plymouth Hoe big wheel keeps turning
THE ongoing saga of the closed-down big wheel continues to spin on – with signs of life reported at the structure this week.
Readers rang The Herald to say the wheel, which stopped operating around two weeks ago, had begun turning again.
"I saw it moving, a full circuit," said one witness from the Hoe.
Another said: "There were lights on."
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
But when The Herald visited the 53-metre high structure at, 3pm yesterday, it was static.
There were no staff, no punters, no signs or notices or anything to tell potential customers what was happening – just an eerie silence and a Mary Celeste-like stillness in the pod office.
And attempts to find out what the future holds in store for the former attraction, which arrived in Plymouth last year, have also proved fruitless.
The attraction's former operator, Birmingham's Great City Attractions Global Limited, went into administration and ceased trading in August.
The Herald was yesterday unable to reach anyone at its administrators, Leicester-based G2 Insolvency Limited.
When Great City Attractions went into administration, the wheel, and a similar one in York, was retained by owner Shipley Investments Ltd, in Dudley.
But when The Herald rang Shipley's office yesterday, we could not get an answer .
Shipley had brought in another operator, the Hall Organisation Ltd, to run the wheel before it closed. The Herald spoke to someone at Hall's offices but were told our message had been passed on and someone would get back to us. However, the company did not respond last night.
Last week, The Herald revealed how Plymouth City Council is owed £23,000 in non-paid "fees" relating to the wheel's Hoe site.
Last night the council made no comment.
Do you know anything about the wheel? Ring 01752 765529 or email wtelford@theplymouthherald.co.uk
Comments
by charlie12341
Saturday, October 27 2012, 9:33AM
“Is this wheelie news worthy??? :)”
by Snapdragons
Friday, October 26 2012, 6:33AM
“I saw Proud Mary on it!”
by jabbathebutt
Thursday, October 25 2012, 10:26PM
“Shouldnt have charged 23 grand in the first place the greedy b222a2ds . They should have thought themselves and the city lucky to have had an attraction such as this for free . Because if anything ... it helped bring people into a town that in some parts is a ghost town . One of the main reasons for other places closing is because of council greed . Wehter in the so called "safety car" or rates or over priced community charge etc .... no sympathy from me whatsover .
All done by people who never had to run a businnes .... but feel they know how to tell others how to run theirs in their snotty way .”
by formeremploye
Thursday, October 25 2012, 10:10PM
“Its re-opening on Monday. All of the old staff either told them to do one or weren't asked to return. Its going to be run by the so called management and people who claim to maintain the wheel. The company sacked everyone because they wanted to move the wheel to pastures new but being the clever company they are they forgot about the small fact of the 150k cost of moving the wheel so have instead decided to stay open for a bit longer. Go figure!!”
by JTPlymouth
Thursday, October 25 2012, 7:13PM
“I live on the Hoe and often walk past the wheel. There are frequently staff on site. Recently, I saw a member of the public talking to someone evidently involved as they stood next to the ticketing pod.
If this amateurish little rag really wants to know what's going on, why don't they do something radical like get off their backsides instead of waiting for press releases and calls from the public?”
by bilbobaggins
Thursday, October 25 2012, 4:29PM
“Maybe sell the franchise for 23k(the money owed) and a minimal rent thereafter bobs your uncle.”
by jaygeek1
Thursday, October 25 2012, 3:59PM
“Clamp it !
If I owed the council £23k they would make my life hell with phone calls and bailiffs..........................................................”
by symonsweet
Thursday, October 25 2012, 12:12PM
“Wouldn't it be better, as a proposition to the Council, to keep the wheel in exchange for the monies owed? This would ensure that it gets it off the administrators hands and Plymouth could benefit from a new permanent attraction. The fares charged could be lower that the current prices to encourage more visitors to use it and thereby recouping the monies owed and more. Once the monies owed have been recovered it could then be put out as an attraction to be run in partnership with the private sector or as a wholly owned asset for the Council. A shame to lose it as it seems to have become part of the Plymouth skyline now.”
by Foldart
Thursday, October 25 2012, 9:38AM
“It could have been a maintenance visit. Turning the wheel would help stop the bearings seizing up.
Shame if we lose it.”
by spudy4
Thursday, October 25 2012, 9:15AM
“Sir Francis Still Enjoyin himself”