diamond geezer

 Sunday, December 18, 2016

What does the View From The Shard look like in thick fog? I think you can guess, but I've been up to check anyway.

I've never seen the visitor entrance to the Shard as busy as it was yesterday, and I've been up a lot. Back in January Londoners were offered a special annual season ticket, and it cost less a single ascent, so I snapped up one of those and have been back several times since. I've been up in sun, in no cloud, in low cloud, in rain and at sunset, the latter twice, with fog the only significant weather phenomenon that'd so far eluded me. Generally any fog burns off well before 10am, which is when The View opens up to the public, which is good news for any normal visitor wanting to go up top. But when a veil of grey descended over the capital and lingered right through Saturday morning, I felt I had to dash.



Saturday morning, especially in the run-up to Christmas, is a particularly popular time to pre-book a slot up the Shard. Families roll in from the suburbs and further afield, usually as a treat or for a celebration, and given how much they've paid no weather forecast will put them off. But in this case the news was bad, with a member of staff placed out front to pass on the gloomy message. "There is no view."
In the case of bad weather we offer all guests our London Landmarks Guarantee with every ticket - you’ll be walking on air amongst the clouds, but if they spoil your view, you can return for free! If you cannot see at least three of the following landmarks - The London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Gherkin, Tower Bridge and One Canada Square - on the day of your visit, we will let you return within 3 months for free! Staff at the ticket desk will let you know on the day if the Visibility Guarantee has been authorised and will arrange your return ticket.
Conditions have to be pretty terrible not to be able to see Tower Bridge, which is less than half a mile away. St Paul's and the Gherkin aren't that much further, so are easily seen even in driving rain, meaning the weather can be abysmal and the Visibility Guarantee still doesn't apply. But fog is another matter - this is after all the tallest building in Western Europe - and then there's no quibble.



Families with over-optimistic printouts queued up at the cashdesks to get their dates swapped. "Sorry, it's quite busy over Christmas and New Year, the next Saturday we can do for you is 14th January. Or you can go up now, and if the sky clears that's your view, but if it doesn't then when you come back down we'll give you a voucher for another time." It's an impressively flexible offer, and precisely what's needed at such a weather dependent attraction, but still leaves most families somewhat out of pocket. Most of those queuing with me had travelled miles to be here, with rail tickets now in need of being booked again, or a tank of petrol gone to waste.

But the queue for the security check was still longer than I'd ever seen it before. Many people didn't believe the view could be that bad, or wanted to go up anyway because they were here, and then they could have their proper visit later. They waited patiently to have their photo taken - not for security, but so they could be flogged a print later, presumably in front of a less grey backdrop. They picked up an audio-visual guide to tell them more about what they could see, even though they probably wouldn't be able to see anything. And then they queued patiently for the lifts.

The first lift whisks you up 32 floors, unexpectedly quickly, and invariably makes your ears pop. There's then an interior shuffle, on a landing with no windows, before a further 35-floor ascent. I took the ride with more passengers than I'd ever been crammed in with previously, including a family here to celebrate their son's 9th birthday. You can probably imagine the look on Tom's face when Mum broke into a chorus of "Happy Birthday To You", and the relief on his reddened brow when none of the surrounding strangers joined in. You can also probably imagine his disappointment on reaching the 69th floor and discovering that there was indeed no view whatsoever. "Awww Mum, these are the most expensive clouds ever!"



Having been up the Shard several times before I know how excellent the view can be. It's no understatement to say that all of London is laid out below, often beneath a ragingly impressive sky. But not in fog. The view beyond the windows was uniformly white and featureless, with no hope of seeing any feature other than one's reflection. There was no way of telling you were on the highest viewing platform in London, suspended 240m above the Thames, and no easy way to imagine unless you'd been up before. It was just like being in an aeroplane while it climbs through clouds, an essentially pointless panorama.

Being British, several visitors put a brave face on it. They wandered around the enclosed floor and around the open Skydeck, a few internal staircases higher, to confirm that no view existed in any compass direction. They rang their friends to tell them they were up the Shard in fog. They took family photos to confirm their predicament, and offered their cameras to members of the Shard's staff to take some too. Their children carried activity sheets entitled 'Spot London's Famous Landmarks', even though a blank sheet of paper would have been more appropriate. Many didn't stay for very long.



Others turned inwards and took advantage of the only alternative entertainment, namely the bar. The operators know they have a captive audience up here, and also that many have turned up for a celebration, so the most-prominently promoted drink is a plastic goblet of champagne. Ten quid, kerching, and they've made even more easy money out of your visit. Alternatively at this time of year there's mulled wine, and a variety of bottled beers and soft drinks, and the hot chocolate sells well too because it's cold outside. Almost all the lingering visitors bought a beverage of some kind, and many sat down on the astroturf with their backs to the cloud, and slowly sipped.

Except not everything was white. If you looked up, the sky was blue, not immediately above but higher. The tip of the building was in full illumination, such is the difference 60m makes, and swirls of cloud dissipated somewhere inbetween. Also the sun was visible, low in the winter sky, as a faint bleached disc beyond the enveloping mist. At one point the light brightened to the stage where it cast shadows on the Skydeck, hinting that perhaps the cloud might lift after all, but then it dissolved away again. I watched as wisps of cloud ducked through the gash on one side of the observation deck and out of the other, and marvelled at being so close to the upper limit of the atmospheric interface. I know you can see this kind of thing up a mountain any time, but rarely in such comfort.



The ultimate fog experience is to be present when the top of the cloud level dips below the observation deck. One member of staff told me he'd been working here for two years and never seen it. Another said it had happened that very morning, but only for the first fifteen minutes after opening, and she'd be fortunate enough to be on duty up top at the time. The whole of London had been covered by a blanket of sunlit cloud, with just the tip of One Canada Square in Docklands poking through, which must have looked amazing. But by quarter past ten the cloud had lifted slightly, and the view had disappeared, and it looked like staying disappeared for the rest of the day. Damn, missed.

Anyway, that's the ninth time I've been up the Shard this year, which I'd like to claim as one of the best London bargains ever. From that initial £20.16 outlay each individual ascent has cost me £2.24, which is phenomenal value for money compared to other central London attractions. Even better I didn't have to book my slots in advance, I could simply turn up, and at no time has the place been so busy they've turned me away. I got the weather conditions I wanted, and pinpoint visibility, not to mention dusk in burning red, whereas the pre-bookers had to make do with whatever they were given. Plus I got to see the sun yesterday, which is more than almost every other Londoner did.



There's no news yet on whether the Shard will offer a 'Love London' card special offer next year. They've already hiked the cost of this year's to £40.95, and it expires on New Year's Eve, and I bet most people who bought one didn't make nearly as much use of theirs as they intended. I'm still not sure I'd pay full whack just to go up once, it does seem steep, but thousands obviously do. Don't get me wrong, it's been amazing, but now I've overdosed I feel no urgent need to ever come back. And I'm glad I've seen the View From The Shard in fog, if only to reassure you not to bother.

» My report from January (fine and clear)
» My report from February (approaching sunset)
» My report from March (dull and wet)
» 9 photos from my December visit (fog)
» 50 photos from up the Shard in all weathers [slideshow]


<< click for Newer posts

click for Older Posts >>


click to return to the main page


...or read more in my monthly archives
Jan24  Feb24  Mar24  Apr24  May24  Jun24  Jul24  Aug24  Sep24  Oct24  Nov24  Dec24
Jan23  Feb23  Mar23  Apr23  May23  Jun23  Jul23  Aug23  Sep23  Oct23  Nov23  Dec23
Jan22  Feb22  Mar22  Apr22  May22  Jun22  Jul22  Aug22  Sep22  Oct22  Nov22  Dec22
Jan21  Feb21  Mar21  Apr21  May21  Jun21  Jul21  Aug21  Sep21  Oct21  Nov21  Dec21
Jan20  Feb20  Mar20  Apr20  May20  Jun20  Jul20  Aug20  Sep20  Oct20  Nov20  Dec20
Jan19  Feb19  Mar19  Apr19  May19  Jun19  Jul19  Aug19  Sep19  Oct19  Nov19  Dec19
Jan18  Feb18  Mar18  Apr18  May18  Jun18  Jul18  Aug18  Sep18  Oct18  Nov18  Dec18
Jan17  Feb17  Mar17  Apr17  May17  Jun17  Jul17  Aug17  Sep17  Oct17  Nov17  Dec17
Jan16  Feb16  Mar16  Apr16  May16  Jun16  Jul16  Aug16  Sep16  Oct16  Nov16  Dec16
Jan15  Feb15  Mar15  Apr15  May15  Jun15  Jul15  Aug15  Sep15  Oct15  Nov15  Dec15
Jan14  Feb14  Mar14  Apr14  May14  Jun14  Jul14  Aug14  Sep14  Oct14  Nov14  Dec14
Jan13  Feb13  Mar13  Apr13  May13  Jun13  Jul13  Aug13  Sep13  Oct13  Nov13  Dec13
Jan12  Feb12  Mar12  Apr12  May12  Jun12  Jul12  Aug12  Sep12  Oct12  Nov12  Dec12
Jan11  Feb11  Mar11  Apr11  May11  Jun11  Jul11  Aug11  Sep11  Oct11  Nov11  Dec11
Jan10  Feb10  Mar10  Apr10  May10  Jun10  Jul10  Aug10  Sep10  Oct10  Nov10  Dec10 
Jan09  Feb09  Mar09  Apr09  May09  Jun09  Jul09  Aug09  Sep09  Oct09  Nov09  Dec09
Jan08  Feb08  Mar08  Apr08  May08  Jun08  Jul08  Aug08  Sep08  Oct08  Nov08  Dec08
Jan07  Feb07  Mar07  Apr07  May07  Jun07  Jul07  Aug07  Sep07  Oct07  Nov07  Dec07
Jan06  Feb06  Mar06  Apr06  May06  Jun06  Jul06  Aug06  Sep06  Oct06  Nov06  Dec06
Jan05  Feb05  Mar05  Apr05  May05  Jun05  Jul05  Aug05  Sep05  Oct05  Nov05  Dec05
Jan04  Feb04  Mar04  Apr04  May04  Jun04  Jul04  Aug04  Sep04  Oct04  Nov04  Dec04
Jan03  Feb03  Mar03  Apr03  May03  Jun03  Jul03  Aug03  Sep03  Oct03  Nov03  Dec03
 Jan02  Feb02  Mar02  Apr02  May02  Jun02  Jul02 Aug02  Sep02  Oct02  Nov02  Dec02 

jack of diamonds
Life viewed from London E3

» email me
» follow me on twitter
» follow the blog on Twitter
» follow the blog on RSS

» my flickr photostream

twenty blogs
our bow
arseblog
ian visits
londonist
broken tv
blue witch
on london
the great wen
edith's streets
spitalfields life
linkmachinego
round the island
wanstead meteo
christopher fowler
the greenwich wire
bus and train user
ruth's coastal walk
round the rails we go
london reconnections
from the murky depths

quick reference features
Things to do in Outer London
Things to do outside London
London's waymarked walks
Inner London toilet map
20 years of blog series
The DG Tour of Britain
London's most...

read the archive
Dec24  Nov24  Oct24  Sep24
Aug24  Jul24  Jun24  May24
Apr24  Mar24  Feb24  Jan24
Dec23  Nov23  Oct23  Sep23
Aug23  Jul23  Jun23  May23
Apr23  Mar23  Feb23  Jan23
Dec22  Nov22  Oct22  Sep22
Aug22  Jul22  Jun22  May22
Apr22  Mar22  Feb22  Jan22
Dec21  Nov21  Oct21  Sep21
Aug21  Jul21  Jun21  May21
Apr21  Mar21  Feb21  Jan21
Dec20  Nov20  Oct20  Sep20
Aug20  Jul20  Jun20  May20
Apr20  Mar20  Feb20  Jan20
Dec19  Nov19  Oct19  Sep19
Aug19  Jul19  Jun19  May19
Apr19  Mar19  Feb19  Jan19
Dec18  Nov18  Oct18  Sep18
Aug18  Jul18  Jun18  May18
Apr18  Mar18  Feb18  Jan18
Dec17  Nov17  Oct17  Sep17
Aug17  Jul17  Jun17  May17
Apr17  Mar17  Feb17  Jan17
Dec16  Nov16  Oct16  Sep16
Aug16  Jul16  Jun16  May16
Apr16  Mar16  Feb16  Jan16
Dec15  Nov15  Oct15  Sep15
Aug15  Jul15  Jun15  May15
Apr15  Mar15  Feb15  Jan15
Dec14  Nov14  Oct14  Sep14
Aug14  Jul14  Jun14  May14
Apr14  Mar14  Feb14  Jan14
Dec13  Nov13  Oct13  Sep13
Aug13  Jul13  Jun13  May13
Apr13  Mar13  Feb13  Jan13
Dec12  Nov12  Oct12  Sep12
Aug12  Jul12  Jun12  May12
Apr12  Mar12  Feb12  Jan12
Dec11  Nov11  Oct11  Sep11
Aug11  Jul11  Jun11  May11
Apr11  Mar11  Feb11  Jan11
Dec10  Nov10  Oct10  Sep10
Aug10  Jul10  Jun10  May10
Apr10  Mar10  Feb10  Jan10
Dec09  Nov09  Oct09  Sep09
Aug09  Jul09  Jun09  May09
Apr09  Mar09  Feb09  Jan09
Dec08  Nov08  Oct08  Sep08
Aug08  Jul08  Jun08  May08
Apr08  Mar08  Feb08  Jan08
Dec07  Nov07  Oct07  Sep07
Aug07  Jul07  Jun07  May07
Apr07  Mar07  Feb07  Jan07
Dec06  Nov06  Oct06  Sep06
Aug06  Jul06  Jun06  May06
Apr06  Mar06  Feb06  Jan06
Dec05  Nov05  Oct05  Sep05
Aug05  Jul05  Jun05  May05
Apr05  Mar05  Feb05  Jan05
Dec04  Nov04  Oct04  Sep04
Aug04  Jul04  Jun04  May04
Apr04  Mar04  Feb04  Jan04
Dec03  Nov03  Oct03  Sep03
Aug03  Jul03  Jun03  May03
Apr03  Mar03  Feb03  Jan03
Dec02  Nov02  Oct02  Sep02
back to main page

the diamond geezer index
2023 2022
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
2006 2005 2004 2003 2002

my special London features
a-z of london museums
E3 - local history month
greenwich meridian (N)
greenwich meridian (S)
the real eastenders
london's lost rivers
olympic park 2007
great british roads
oranges & lemons
random boroughs
bow road station
high street 2012
river westbourne
trafalgar square
capital numbers
east london line
lea valley walk
olympics 2005
regent's canal
square routes
silver jubilee
unlost rivers
cube routes
Herbert Dip
metro-land
capital ring
river fleet
piccadilly
bakerloo

ten of my favourite posts
the seven ages of blog
my new Z470xi mobile
five equations of blog
the dome of doom
chemical attraction
quality & risk
london 2102
single life
boredom
april fool

ten sets of lovely photos
my "most interesting" photos
london 2012 olympic zone
harris and the hebrides
betjeman's metro-land
marking the meridian
tracing the river fleet
london's lost rivers
inside the gherkin
seven sisters
iceland

just surfed in?
here's where to find...
diamond geezers
flash mob #1  #2  #3  #4
ben schott's miscellany
london underground
watch with mother
cigarette warnings
digital time delay
wheelie suitcases
war of the worlds
transit of venus
top of the pops
old buckenham
ladybird books
acorn antiques
digital watches
outer hebrides
olympics 2012
school dinners
pet shop boys
west wycombe
bletchley park
george orwell
big breakfast
clapton pond
san francisco
thunderbirds
routemaster
children's tv
east enders
trunk roads
amsterdam
little britain
credit cards
jury service
big brother
jubilee line
number 1s
titan arum
typewriters
doctor who
coronation
comments
blue peter
matchgirls
hurricanes
buzzwords
brookside
monopoly
peter pan
starbucks
feng shui
leap year
manbags
bbc three
vision on
piccadilly
meridian
concorde
wembley
islington
ID cards
bedtime
freeview
beckton
blogads
eclipses
letraset
arsenal
sitcoms
gherkin
calories
everest
muffins
sudoku
camilla
london
ceefax
robbie
becks
dome
BBC2
paris
lotto
118
itv