Valentine's Day/Big Wheel

For Valentine's Day last Friday, my boyfriend and I took a trip on the big wheel in Manchester Picadilly. The big wheel used to be found near the Triangle, at the back of the Arndale Shopping Centre but was taken down so that during the 2012 Olympics tourists and citizens alike could watch the sports on the big screen which is positioned in front of rows of stone benches next to Selfridges. 

I took a ride on the wheel when it was near the Triangle and from judging both rides, I think the new positioning of the wheel is a good thing. Although its previous location gave just a nice a view, the area around it was cramped and tourists would always come up to me on Market Street and ask me where they could find it. The new positioning is right bang in the middle of Manchester, near the train station where most people arrive at and near the big department stores Primark and Debenhams, so no one can really miss it.

A sky ride was erected in the middle of 2013 which allowed people to pay around £6 (if my memory serves me) for a ride which took you high up in the air so that you could get a good view of central Manchester. If I am right, this ride was a test to see how many people would use the ride and how much profit it would generate, as the big wheel has been put up in its place. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I'm assuming in the mean time.

The wheel took us around 4 times for the student price of £6, which was incredibly worth it. As we went around the second time, two police cars sped by on the ground and pulled up at a shop, where a crowd of people were gathering. We got a birdseye view of the action and it was quite exhilarating. The view at night was beautiful, especially with the coloured fountains below (something I recommend going out of your way to see, if you ever find yourself in Picadilly) and the iconic silhouette of the Hilton Hotel in the distance.

After the big wheel, we found ourselves wandering around by Albert Square, then a quick trip to King Street then finally at the sweet shop in the Arndale. All in all, it was a Valentine's day well spent (and our first!)