A towering achievement

The tiny figure at the top of this tower is my daughter setting off to abseil down it this afternoon. The tower is the National Lift Tower in Northampton. It is 418 feet high and was opened by the Queen in 1980. It was built to test lifts, the only such facility in the UK and one of only two in Europe. It was granted Grade ll listed building status in 1997. It is still used to test lifts and other height-related engineering functions but it also serves now as the National Abseil Centre and claims to be the world's highest static abseil. It is open every other weekend for abseils many of which are undertaken as charity fundraising events although my daughter was doing it as a belated birthday treat. She really enjoyed the experience. There are great views from the top - I did manage to take the lift to the observation floor - including the nearby Northampton Town Football Club stadium,.  I was chatting to one chap who had just completed his descent, and was of my vintage, and he was in no doubt that I should give it a go. And I may just well do that - one day.....,