https://horizon22.co.uk/

I’ve just been up what claims to be London’s highest viewing platform,
opposite the Shard. It really does give fantastic views over London and you
can spend some time trying to spot the railways and their stations. London
Bridge is fairly obvious. St P and Kjngs Cross are visible and look like
models in the distance. The best thing is it is completely free, which is
much better than the vast sums the Shard want. I’m not sure what the
business plan is - they have considerable numbers of staff (the most
consistently friendly and polite I’ve met in a long time) on duty which
must be costing a bit. You have to be quick for tickets, basically you need
to visit the ticket site first thing in the morning, a month in advance of
when you want to go.

Had an interesting afternoon’s tour of TfL’s Acton Depot museum, another
thing you need to be sharpish about to get tickets.

On Fri, 27 Oct 2023 19:04:17 -0000 (UTC)
Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>https://horizon22.co.uk/
>
>I’ve just been up what claims to be London’s highest viewing platform,
>opposite the Shard. It really does give fantastic views over London and you
>can spend some time trying to spot the railways and their stations. London
>Bridge is fairly obvious. St P and Kjngs Cross are visible and look like
>models in the distance. The best thing is it is completely free, which is
>much better than the vast sums the Shard want. I’m not sure what the
>business plan is - they have considerable numbers of staff (the most
>consistently friendly and polite I’ve met in a long time) on duty which
>must be costing a bit. You have to be quick for tickets, basically you need
>to visit the ticket site first thing in the morning, a month in advance of
>when you want to go.

If you don't mind something a bit lower (12 floors up IIRC) this is worth a
visit:

https://www.thegardenat120.com/#content/page/roof_garden

You don't have to book tickets, just turn up. The roof garden is a lovely
place to sit and there's a cafe + restaurant underneath.

<Muttley@dastardlyhq.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 27 Oct 2023 19:04:17 -0000 (UTC)
> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>> https://horizon22.co.uk/
>>
>> I’ve just been up what claims to be London’s highest viewing platform,
>> opposite the Shard. It really does give fantastic views over London and you
>> can spend some time trying to spot the railways and their stations. London
>> Bridge is fairly obvious. St P and Kjngs Cross are visible and look like
>> models in the distance. The best thing is it is completely free, which is
>> much better than the vast sums the Shard want. I’m not sure what the
>> business plan is - they have considerable numbers of staff (the most
>> consistently friendly and polite I’ve met in a long time) on duty which
>> must be costing a bit. You have to be quick for tickets, basically you need
>> to visit the ticket site first thing in the morning, a month in advance of
>> when you want to go.
>
> If you don't mind something a bit lower (12 floors up IIRC) this is worth a
> visit:
>
> https://www.thegardenat120.com/#content/page/roof_garden
>
> You don't have to book tickets, just turn up. The roof garden is a lovely
> place to sit and there's a cafe + restaurant underneath.
>
>
Thanks - will add it to my list.

On 27 Oct 2023 19:04, Tweed wrote:
> https://horizon22.co.uk/
>
> I've just been up what claims to be London's highest viewing platform,
> opposite the Shard. It really does give fantastic views over London and you
> can spend some time trying to spot the railways and their stations. London
> Bridge is fairly obvious. St P and Kjngs Cross are visible and look like
> models in the distance. The best thing is it is completely free, which is
> much better than the vast sums the Shard want. I'm not sure what the
> business plan is - they have considerable numbers of staff (the most
> consistently friendly and polite I've met in a long time) on duty which
> must be costing a bit. You have to be quick for tickets, basically you need
> to visit the ticket site first thing in the morning, a month in advance of
> when you want to go.
>
> Had an interesting afternoon's tour of TfL's Acton Depot museum, another
> thing you need to be sharpish about to get tickets.

In general, roof gardens only get planning permission from the
Corporation if they are open, free to the public at least some of the
time. I'm not sure how the Shard got away with it but the
Walkie-Talkie, for example, is free but....
there are often queues
it is often closed (or partly closed) in the evenings for private
bookings

Rupert Moss-Eccardt <nin@moss-eccardt.com> wrote:
> In general, roof gardens only get planning permission from the
> Corporation if they are open, free to the public at least some of the
> time. I'm not sure how the Shard got away with it

The Shard is in Southwark, so not until the purview of the Corporation?

Theo

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:
> Rupert Moss-Eccardt <nin@moss-eccardt.com> wrote:
>> In general, roof gardens only get planning permission from the
>> Corporation if they are open, free to the public at least some of the
>> time. I'm not sure how the Shard got away with it
>
> The Shard is in Southwark, so not until the purview of the Corporation?
>
> Theo
>

Having been up both, Horizon22 has much better views than the Shard.

<Muttley@dastardlyhq.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 27 Oct 2023 19:04:17 -0000 (UTC)
> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>> https://horizon22.co.uk/
>>
>> I’ve just been up what claims to be London’s highest viewing platform,
>> opposite the Shard. It really does give fantastic views over London and you
>> can spend some time trying to spot the railways and their stations. London
>> Bridge is fairly obvious. St P and Kjngs Cross are visible and look like
>> models in the distance. The best thing is it is completely free, which is
>> much better than the vast sums the Shard want. I’m not sure what the
>> business plan is - they have considerable numbers of staff (the most
>> consistently friendly and polite I’ve met in a long time) on duty which
>> must be costing a bit. You have to be quick for tickets, basically you need
>> to visit the ticket site first thing in the morning, a month in advance of
>> when you want to go.
>
> If you don't mind something a bit lower (12 floors up IIRC) this is worth a
> visit:
>
> https://www.thegardenat120.com/#content/page/roof_garden
>
> You don't have to book tickets, just turn up. The roof garden is a lovely
> place to sit and there's a cafe + restaurant underneath.
>
>
>

Thanks, The missis and I used to visit the large gardens on top of the
former Derry and Toms dept store in Kensington when they were made
available by the Virgin group who were then using the building.
They moved out a few years and the garden has been closed since and
unlikely to have easy public access again as the new owner intends them to
be part of an exclusive club.

A new venue for our visits to London will be welcome

GH.

On 28 Oct 2023 17:17:03 GMT
Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk> wrote:
><Muttley@dastardlyhq.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, 27 Oct 2023 19:04:17 -0000 (UTC)
>> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> https://horizon22.co.uk/
>>>
>>> I’ve just been up what claims to be London’s highest viewing platform,
>>> opposite the Shard. It really does give fantastic views over London and you
>>> can spend some time trying to spot the railways and their stations. London
>>> Bridge is fairly obvious. St P and Kjngs Cross are visible and look like
>>> models in the distance. The best thing is it is completely free, which is
>>> much better than the vast sums the Shard want. I’m not sure what the
>>> business plan is - they have considerable numbers of staff (the most
>>> consistently friendly and polite I’ve met in a long time) on duty which
>>> must be costing a bit. You have to be quick for tickets, basically you need
>>> to visit the ticket site first thing in the morning, a month in advance of
>>> when you want to go.
>>
>> If you don't mind something a bit lower (12 floors up IIRC) this is worth a
>> visit:
>>
>> https://www.thegardenat120.com/#content/page/roof_garden
>>
>> You don't have to book tickets, just turn up. The roof garden is a lovely
>> place to sit and there's a cafe + restaurant underneath.
>>
>>
>>
>
>Thanks, The missis and I used to visit the large gardens on top of the
>former Derry and Toms dept store in Kensington when they were made
>available by the Virgin group who were then using the building.
>They moved out a few years and the garden has been closed since and
>unlikely to have easy public access again as the new owner intends them to
>be part of an exclusive club.

John Lewis on Oxford Street open their rooftop gardens (though gardens might
be pushing it a bit) at christmas time. I wouldn't say the view was spectacular
as its not high enough but its nice enough and if you're going that way during
xmas its worth a pop up there.

On 28 Oct 2023 17:17:03 GMT
Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk> wrote:
><Muttley@dastardlyhq.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, 27 Oct 2023 19:04:17 -0000 (UTC)
>> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> https://horizon22.co.uk/
>>>
>>> I’ve just been up what claims to be London’s highest viewing platform,
>>> opposite the Shard. It really does give fantastic views over London and you
>>> can spend some time trying to spot the railways and their stations. London
>>> Bridge is fairly obvious. St P and Kjngs Cross are visible and look like
>>> models in the distance. The best thing is it is completely free, which is
>>> much better than the vast sums the Shard want. I’m not sure what the
>>> business plan is - they have considerable numbers of staff (the most
>>> consistently friendly and polite I’ve met in a long time) on duty which
>>> must be costing a bit. You have to be quick for tickets, basically you need
>>> to visit the ticket site first thing in the morning, a month in advance of
>>> when you want to go.
>>
>> If you don't mind something a bit lower (12 floors up IIRC) this is worth a
>> visit:
>>
>> https://www.thegardenat120.com/#content/page/roof_garden
>>
>> You don't have to book tickets, just turn up. The roof garden is a lovely
>> place to sit and there's a cafe + restaurant underneath.
>>
>>
>>
>
>Thanks, The missis and I used to visit the large gardens on top of the
>former Derry and Toms dept store in Kensington when they were made
>available by the Virgin group who were then using the building.
>They moved out a few years and the garden has been closed since and
>unlikely to have easy public access again as the new owner intends them to
>be part of an exclusive club.

John Lewis on Oxford Street open their rooftop gardens (though gardens might
be pushing it a bit) at christmas time. I wouldn't say the view was spectacular
as its not high enough but its nice enough and if you're going that way during
xmas its worth a pop up there.

<Muttley@dastardlyhq.com> wrote:
> On 28 Oct 2023 17:17:03 GMT
> Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk> wrote:
>> <Muttley@dastardlyhq.com> wrote:
>>> On Fri, 27 Oct 2023 19:04:17 -0000 (UTC)
>>> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> https://horizon22.co.uk/
>>>>
>>>> I’ve just been up what claims to be London’s highest viewing platform,
>>>> opposite the Shard. It really does give fantastic views over London and you
>>>> can spend some time trying to spot the railways and their stations. London
>>>> Bridge is fairly obvious. St P and Kjngs Cross are visible and look like
>>>> models in the distance. The best thing is it is completely free, which is
>>>> much better than the vast sums the Shard want. I’m not sure what the
>>>> business plan is - they have considerable numbers of staff (the most
>>>> consistently friendly and polite I’ve met in a long time) on duty which
>>>> must be costing a bit. You have to be quick for tickets, basically you need
>>>> to visit the ticket site first thing in the morning, a month in advance of
>>>> when you want to go.
>>>
>>> If you don't mind something a bit lower (12 floors up IIRC) this is worth a
>>> visit:
>>>
>>> https://www.thegardenat120.com/#content/page/roof_garden
>>>
>>> You don't have to book tickets, just turn up. The roof garden is a lovely
>>> place to sit and there's a cafe + restaurant underneath.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Thanks, The missis and I used to visit the large gardens on top of the
>> former Derry and Toms dept store in Kensington when they were made
>> available by the Virgin group who were then using the building.
>> They moved out a few years and the garden has been closed since and
>> unlikely to have easy public access again as the new owner intends them to
>> be part of an exclusive club.
>
> John Lewis on Oxford Street open their rooftop gardens (though gardens might
> be pushing it a bit) at christmas time. I wouldn't say the view was spectacular
> as its not high enough but its nice enough and if you're going that way during
> xmas its worth a pop up there.
>
>
>

Thanks , another to put on the List.
GH