If you haven’t entered the ballot for tickets to go to the top of the BT Tower for Open House London, then you should be sending that email off sharpish.

Applications to be sent to bt-tower@open-city.org.uk.

Ballot closes Mon 13th Sept 5pm. Max 2 tickets per booking. Give full names, addresses, email, telephone of all attendees in application.

However…

There is another way to get into that desirable tower.

You could win a place on an Open House architectural tour in a vintage Routemaster bus, kicking off with a tour of BT Tower, and taking in other Open House buildings, with commentary by Royal College of Art tutor and bus driver Joe Kerr.

Places are limited so to be in with a chance to win a place on this half day tour on the Sunday afternoon, answer this: In what year was the Routemaster launched?

Answers to bustour@open-city.org.uk by Fri 4 Sept 6pm.

Frustratingly, there seems to be two dates that might qualify as the answer, depending on how specific you are being – erk!

While tickets to visit most of the favoured venues for Open House London 2010 were snapped up within just a few minutes, tickets for the highly coveted chance to visit the top of the BT Tower are being allocated by a digital name out of the hand draw.

Sadly, the venue is only open for a few hours (Sun 19th Sept: 12noon-5.30pm) so the chance of getting a ticket may be quite slim. Worth trying though.

Applications will be accepted from today and closes Mon 13 Sept 5pm.

You are allowed to apply for two tickets per booking.

Give full names, addresses, email, tel of each person in the application. Applications without full info won’t be considered.

Successful applicants will notified in writing and this will be the ticket for entry – so the only way you’ll know if you got tickets is if a letter arrives in the post – which is relying on the postal service to be unusually efficient in their efforts.

I would have thought an email to all the applications confirming winning/losing status would have been sensible, especially as the booking closes just a few days before the visits takes place. Oh well.

Fire off your bidding email to bt-tower@open-city.org.uk

If you get a ticket, you will also need a Photo ID: valid passport (any nationality) valid EU identity card, driving licence (photo card). Strictly no admittance without ticket and photo ID.

Good luck!

OMG! OMG! OMG!

The iconic BT Tower in the centre of London that has to be in the top-10 of any Londoner’s list of buildings they would most want to go inside will be open to the public this coming September for one weekend only.

Long term readers may have guessed that we are talking about the London Open House Weekend (now renamed Open City).

As the blurb from Open Cities says:

With unrivalled views across London this is a unique opportunity for members of the public to visit the famous revolving Floor 34, 158 metres above the capital. To find out how to apply for your place, you need to get the Open House Guide. With unrivalled views across London this is a unique opportunity for members of the public to visit the famous revolving Floor 34, 158 metres above the capital.

This is bound to be one of those venues that needs to be pre-booked via the Open Cities website – and if it is anything like chances to get to the top of The Gherkin (I’ve been in there), then the tickets will be snapped up in a few minutes.

To get a head-start though, you can prepare for the event by buying the annual guide – the funds from which go to support the event – from their website.

The guide will be posted out on 5th August – and the website goes live on the morning of the 9th August.

Incidentally, I would actually be much more interested in visiting the basement, where the unique foundation pyramid is apparently visible. But I’ll take the rotating restaurant floor as a very good alternative!

Update: The tickets will be allocated by “name out of the hat” draw and you will have to apply by email from the 16th August. The tower will be open on Sunday between 12-5:30 only.

Booking details here.

Some years ago, I cam within a whiskers length of getting a tour of the Kingsway subway tunnel that runs near to Holborn in central London, and is now largely used as a storage box by the local council.

Sadly, my attempts which came so close to success were thwarted by an officious oik, who’s ranting email within Camden Council was accidentally (?) cc’d to me – and he was basically furious that a decsion was taken without his input.

Visit cancelled.

A few years later, I won a charity auction from the Transport Museum for a tour of the tunnels. Woo I thought, but again the council proved, umm, difficult and the prize was later substituted for a tour of the disused Aldwych tube station.

Close, but still no cigar.

Yesterday, my heart positively leapt as The Londonist advised that an art installation is to be put in the tunnels, and the public will be allowed in on tours. The tickets were expected to be made available yesterday, but I had an email this morning from the organisers confirming ticket availability at last.

Finally, I get in to see the tunnels (and some art).

So if you want to admire an art event see the tunnels – then swiftly click hither.

Incidentally, some years ago as part of the London Open House events, I went to see the iconic Isokon Flats in Belsize Park which were about to be restored – and the same people behind the Kingsway event had put art installations inside the semi-derelict apartments. It worked really well, so I am actually quite pleased that they are behind the Kingsway event as well.