Coin-op amusements news | Clacton Wheel will celebrate resort’s 150 years

Next month should see the installation of the 150th Anniversary Wheel at English seaside resort Clacton, in Essex.

The Clacton Pavilion has been granted planning permission for the 30m high attraction that will be situated in the grounds of the entertainment complex on the sea-front.

It will open as soon as the pandemic restrictions permit. It has 24 gondolas capable of taking 144 guests at a time with some of the gondolas adapted for the accommodation of wheelchairs.

Pavilion owner Billy Peak said that the wheel will be a major tourist attraction for the town. The idea had come to his organisation after seeing a similar project in San Francisco that was opened to celebrate the 150 years of the Golden Gate Bridge. “If it’s good enough for them, then it is good enough for us!”