please empty your brain below
I remember going as a kid and getting a small plastic model of it (a sort of greeny-blue in my recollection). My dad was Irish (from Cork) and absolutely loved anything new and modern in London. I can remember that as kids he drove my sister and I to the then new and shiny Euston and presented it to us as if it was the eighth wonder of the world. So glad that you got the chance to enjoy the revolve.

joan | 24.09.24 - 7:08 a.m. | #

I've been fortunate to visit a number of times, including the area where the microwave dishes used to be. My first visit was an awards ceremony where the (free) drink was flowing. I remember my fuzzy confusion when returning from the toilets in the central core to find the room changed and my colleagues no longer in view.

Frank F | 24.09.24 - 7:24 a.m. | #

I also went as a kid in February 1971 to the standard visitor floors. At least one of the floors had pictures above the windows showing landmarks visible on a clear day. I remember that the bottom floor was 'open' in the sense that it had no glass in the panels, just wire mesh, and it wasn't the place to linger on a winter's day.

David | 24.09.24 - 8:02 a.m. | #

Glad you made it.

I worked for BT in the 90s and managed to visit the BT tower for some internal event. We used to get lunch on the 23rd floor of Euston Tower. Good view from there as well.

Martin | 24.09.24 - 8:16 a.m. | #

Another reason tghere are no other tall buildings in Fitzrovia is because they would get in the way of the microwaves which are the tower's raison d'etre.

Been up twice - once c 1970 as a tourist, and once c2000 for a work event

timbo | 24.09.24 - 8:22 a.m. | #

Must have been early 1966 when I went up the first time, on a Sunday afternoon.
My car, an original Mini - with a roof-rack, was parked almost outside the entrance - as you looked down it appeared to be drain in the gutter!
Subsequent trips included a couple of meals in the restaurant - indifferent quality if I recall.

Rob Gullen | 24.09.24 - 8:31 a.m. | #

I went up not long after it opened to the public.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the building in the future as telecommunications operating methods change over the decades and the buildings original use becomes less important

John | 24.09.24 - 8:33 a.m. | #

I finally made it up there on Sunday, between gaps in the rain. The view wasn't quite as clear as you managed.

My grandfather worked for Peter Lind, the contractors for the building and did some work on the tower. It was good to follow in his footsteps.

David @DTL | Homepage | 24.09.24 - 9:11 a.m. | #

In September 2001 I moved into university halls in the shadow of BT tower, I could see it from my window. I remember at least one fellow fresher requested to move halls as they were scared BT tower could be a target like 9/11.

David | 24.09.24 - 9:18 a.m. | #

Despite being such a visible landmark, well publicised and open to the public, it was an official secret so nobody was supposed to admit that it existed, and it could not be shown on maps.

kev | 24.09.24 - 9:42 a.m. | #

count me as jealous.

Centre-point and the british museum look so close.


I think my favourite tall view in london (so far) is millbank tower. Being so tall and close to the river is a good combo

Alistair Twin | 24.09.24 - 9:51 a.m. | #

I'm mildly confused by the dates. I distinctly remember going up there in 1980, but only had a drink - a cup of tea or something. Is this feasible, or have I imagined the whole thing?

Wendy C | 24.09.24 - 9:59 a.m. | #

Very jealous. When I worked in Broadcasting House, smaller in those days, I saw the tower being struck by lightning.
After much wangling, playing the broadcasting card, I got a visit to the TV switching centre in the bowels of the tower. A dimly lit room full of screens, but no visit higher up.

mikeS | 24.09.24 - 10:07 a.m. | #

I went up to the top of the BT Tower with visitors to the capital on the Sunday before it was closed to the public. I was going to visit with someone else the next weekend but obviously never made it!

DaveB | 24.09.24 - 10:15 a.m. | #

The existence of a microwave transmitter in central London prevented reception of certain satellite TV broadcasts on dishes in the vicinity in the late 1990's. I was working on project to develop a set top receiver box at the time in a nearby office, and fortunately we could use the Capital Radio building to "shadow" the test receiver dish on our roof from the BT Tower signals which were swamping our ability to receive TV signals on a 6 foot dish needed to pick up non-UK "spots", as well as our smaller British Satellite Broadcasting dish pointed at Marcopolo 1 (our test dish wasn't a "squarial").

Although we had contacts at BT from other work, BT were very coy as to exactly what frequencies they were using while we were troubleshooting our lack of TV signal.

Per wikipedia, the BT tower still has some microwave transmitters but the original microwave uses have been replaced by fibre optic cables in the basement.

MilesT | 24.09.24 - 10:55 a.m. | #

A very interesting post. Thank you.

Andrew C | Homepage | 24.09.24 - 11:21 a.m. | #

The Tower (as some of us do call it) is now mostly used for company events, usually to impress corporate clients. I ascended for a corporate dinner in 2019, where it was laid out with tables for fine dining and rotated through the evening. There are still kitchens to prepare food for such events: I'm unsure if they're still in the original place, and I believe the catering is all contracted out, but they do now cater for much more modern tastes and expectations of quality than originally. That dinner remains one of the best I've had anywhere, especially with the view. I can only imagine how incredible the restaurant and viewing platform must have been when originally built.

The building services are all in the non-rotating core, it being quite difficult to make plumbing rotate!

I'm told the sale to become a hotel was because of how expensive it's now become to maintain such a building just for prestige, given that it longer has any operational need. I believe the broadcasting centre was the last proper technical use of the building, vacated just in the last few years. Mind you, we're still very proud of the building: I do have one of those 50th anniversary pin badges on my work lanyard.

Martlesham Heath insider | 24.09.24 - 11:33 a.m. | #

I went up it in the 60's, then, staying not so far away, heard the explosion! Like David, I moved into UCL Ramsay Hall after the closure: at that time it had been male-only accommodation but with tons of debris falling, everyone had to evacuate, and I'll let readers guess the ratio of females... My year it became mixed.

Nick K | 24.09.24 - 12:41 p.m. | #

Every time this comes up on Open House I put in for various time slots on the ballot. One day, Rodders...

Louise | 24.09.24 - 1:37 p.m. | #

Amazed to hear it's still rotating! One of those things I had assumed would have long been stopped due to some mechanical issue or something!

Sean | 24.09.24 - 2:06 p.m. | #

Whist working for Apple and Beatles and Co at number 3 Saville Row in Mayfair I attended a launch party/ reception that was held in the restaurant for Mary Hopkin in about 1968.

fishislandskin | 24.09.24 - 3:01 p.m. | #

What a nice family tradition of sorts!

I was lucky to visit in 2015 by accepting the poisoned chalice of attending a Met Police evening event on behalf of my team. It was a great day, because prior to heading over I'd been at London's Living Room for a report launch event. My high-up city view loving self was very, very happy by the end of that day.

It was the 4th November, so we weren't expecting fireworks and yet there were plenty, magical! Took plenty of photos with all the artworks in the lobby, in particular I loved the penny covered phonebox.

I did notice that they've replaced the carpet since, it was aubergine purple in my photos and videos, matching the sofas we perched on while gazing at the view as it swept past.

Anon | 24.09.24 - 3:22 p.m. | #

I had the good fortune to be invited to an event some years ago while engaging with BT in the course of commerce. Was quietly ushered aside during a lull in proceedings to a small door, up some steps and out to a metal balcony in the outside world. Quite windy, so literally breathtaking!

Strabismus | 24.09.24 - 4:34 p.m. | #

I went up twice . Once sometime in 1966/67 when our dad took us up on a very foggy Sunday afternoon and we saw absolutely nothing. And then sometime in the 2000s with an ex BT employee who had made a complaint about BT services or his bill. To resolve his complaint, BT gave him passes for two to go to the top. And the view was amazing. I recall there being a live phone handset which you could use to phone anywhere ...and we duly did!
PS And it's Crystal Palace transmission masts.

south london lad | 24.09.24 - 4:36 p.m. | #

I've managed a few visits in recent years through work connections - including to the Outside Broadcast platform on floor 35 (used for occasional reception of microwave links from across town) and to a drinks reception, where it's always a bit of fun trying to work out where you started when returning from the loo.

On a recent trip to the National Archives to research something else, I also got out some files about the Tower - and found out some interesting stuff that I really should get around to writing up at some point...

martin | 24.09.24 - 5:26 p.m. | #

I went in 1971 with a friend from USA. Lovely views

Cornish Monkey | 24.09.24 - 6:12 p.m. | #

Lucky you! Glad you got it so all of us who missed out can still get a taste!

Here's to hoping that Heatherwick does a decent job at the conversion.

matthieu1221 | 24.09.24 - 6:41 p.m. | #

Interesting to see how many of your commentariat (including me) had beaten you to it.

Peter | 24.09.24 - 7:04 p.m. | #

When I first went up I was amazed at the amount of trees across the surrounding areas. Later, I went up to watch the start of the London-New York race, 1969, and saw the Harrier jump-jet rise from behind St Pancras in an enormous pall of dust. Unforgettable and very, very noisy.

Herbof | 24.09.24 - 7:12 p.m. | #

Never went up myself, but like you my dad did so when it was being built. He spoke of going up in a workers' lift and then stepping out onto a windswept platform with minimal barriers. No thank you!

Tim | 24.09.24 - 7:56 p.m. | #

Went up as a child, much later when working for BT I was based there for six months and got to go all over the building, from the basement where the foundation concrete 'cone' is visible to the lift motor room and under the floor where the motors and wheels for the revolving floor are located.

mclm | 24.09.24 - 8:40 p.m. | #

I was lucky enough to go up there for a random charity event, in November 2015. It was at night so the city was all lit up, and there were Christmas tree decorations in the revolving bit. I even won a bottle of Fortnum and Mason champagne through a raffle they held!

dncn | 24.09.24 - 9:12 p.m. | #

Without wishing to be too pedantic there is only one transmisson "station" in Crystal Palace, the other one being in S.E.25. Colloquially it was always called the ITV mast but since its integration into Arquiva it is now offically called "The Croydon Transmitting Station" even though there is also a relaying station in Croydon Old Town.

keith the Kraut | 24.09.24 - 9:50 p.m. | #

My parents took me up as a very small child (pre-school age) in the late '60s.
I remember nothing about it, but a family photo was taken outside with me holding a little live monkey. I do remember the feel of its little claws poking though my mittens!

Cornish Cockney | 24.09.24 - 11:45 p.m. | #

Went up what must be 15 years or so ago for some drinks party event, in which I had no interest whatsoever - but wasn’t going to miss out. Think I was the last to be booted out.

David B | 25.09.24 - 4:33 a.m. | #

I’ve never been up so I’m quite envious of you (and others). One day maybe. Or, like Concorde, perhaps never.

Andrew | 25.09.24 - 9:53 a.m. | #

I’m very jealous of you and ianVisits! I joined the ballot list but it wasn’t to be. One day I’ll hopefully get up there.

Rob Healy | 25.09.24 - 12:36 p.m. | #











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