Opportunities for the general public to visit the top of the BT Tower are few and far between. Today, though, hundreds got the chance courtesy of the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. The catch? The small matter of 843 steps to climb.
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John Sopel talks to Ellen MacArthur and a former cancer patient who benefited from the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust."So...you come here often?"Fitzrovia and Marylebone. One big grid.The former Middlesex Hospital site looks surreal from on high.Regent's Park - truly one of London's 'green lungs'.Looking south-east, the city smog enshrouds the Thames, and the ever-rising Shard.City and Canary Wharf.
The vertical endurance had its rewards. The views from the rotating room at the top of the BT Tower are stunning at any time, but on this sunniest of days, the aspect was breathtaking.
Money raised in sponsorship from the event (and from those paying to use the lift) will be pumped into the Cancer Trust. The charity aims to 'rebuild the confidence' of young cancer patients by teaching them the skills and teamwork of sailing. The climb also supports Barretstown, a similar charity that bolsters the self-esteem of ill children by organising activity retreats.
Disclaimer: We attended the breakfast event on invitation from the Ellen MacArthur Trust. We took the lift.
