Spinnaker Tower
All the pictures in this portfolio share one thing in common, they all include [at least part of] Portsmouths Spinnaker Tower.
One day in the mid 90's, a man from the council knocked our door. "We are building a tower for the millennium and are asking the residents to select the design". My wife, looking at the options, asked "where is the option for no tower?" "The council has already decided to build the tower, we want you to choose which you prefer." "What if we don't want a tower?" "You are getting one." This went on for some time whilst I listened from another room thinking to myself "I quite like the idea of a tower - hope the spinnaker design wins". Over the next few years whenever the subject cropped up in conversation with friendes, my wife would repeat the above usually terminating with "waste of money!", and I would normally just remain silent.
As the millennium became nearer and construction had not started, it began to look like the tower would never be built. Then in 2005, 5 years late and £8.4 Million over budget, The Millennium Tower (now renamed Spinnaker Tower) was finally completed. As well as the cost to local tax payers, it cost the leader of the local council his job. It commands the skyline and has become the dominant landmark and photographic subject in the Portsmouth Area. It can be seen from across the city and for many miles around.
As a local tax payer, I will no doubt be paying for it for many years to come. Was it worth it - Judge for yourself
If you are looking for the official website for Spinnaker Tower:
http://www.spinnakertower.co.uk