… as seen from Westminster Bridge.
In operation, the wheel never stops, completing a circuit in thirty minutes. The platform is curved to match the arc of the wheel so while twenty or so occupants are exiting from one gondola another group is entering the previously-vacated one. In addition to having our bags inspected before boarding, we noticed an attendant checking the underside of the bench and the top of an overhead beam with a mirror in the newly-emptied cabin. Of course, with the threat of IRA terrorists, Britain has a long history of heightened security precautions.
Here's the unconventional view of Big Ben I mentioned in a previous note, at the far end of Westminster Bridge.
We were fortunate to be in London during the two-month period that Buckingham Palace's State Rooms are open to the public. When we finished the tour, we noticed that our pocket knife and corkscrew were only a small portion of a temporarily-confiscated arsenal.