Sky Garden in the rain

I'd read about the Sky Garden at least a year ago and I've been trying to get my hands on the free tickets on and off for ages. Whenever I've looked there have never been tickets on the days we could go until earlier this year when I bagged a couple to go last weekend. The reason for the tickets is that the garden is at the top of what is known as the Walkie Talkie building which is packed full of offices so you need to go through airport style security before you assend the 35 floors to the top.

Sadly the day we went it was tipping down so the views in certain directions were obscured by raindrops but you can still make out the views.  

OH and I have been up the black building in the foreground a few years ago to the Vertigo 42 bar - a surprise for OH's birthday and amazing views with champagne. 

The bar in the Sky Garden was tempting but we opted to go for a pint once we had return to ground level.

As you can see the weather was far from perfect with grey views across North London 

It was surreal to see so much greenery in an enclosed space, but the garden is fairly young and it didn't feel as lush as I imagined. 

It was a little surreal looking down into the Tower of London. Bizarrely I overheard someone saying 'I hate the Normans. They get everywhere'. Random or what!

This view from one of the mezzanine levels made my stomach lurch a little as it was surreal looking down onto the Thames. Sadly the outside gallery was closed due to the 'inclement weather'. 

I was also shocked and saddened to see the continual rise and rise of so many tower blocks in the City. The skyline of London has changed so much, even in the past five years as more and more high rise office blocks have gone up. Sadly many of it is unaffordable to the average Londoner. 

I think this is my favourite shot of the ferns mixed with the high rises in the background. If you can get tickets it's certainly worth a trip as you get great views. It may not be as  high as the Shard but the views are free and that, for me, is priceless!