Eight SmarTmasts were sited in parks to the side of Victoria Embankment to provide sound coverage to the main viewing area between Westminster and Jubilee bridges opposite the British Airways London Eye. They all supported L-Acoustics V-Dosc line arrays at a suitable heights to throw over the shrubs between the gardens and the road. The sound system was supplied by Delta Sound and project managed for them by Jim Lambert.
An additional SmarTmast was erected at the north end of Westminster Bridge, complete with three different hangs of PA, pointing in three different directions for crowd control announcements. The tenth SmarTmast flew 10 dV-Dosc cabinets and was positioned behind the London Eye for another viewing area south of the river.
The sound system was used to amplify the chimes of Big Ben above the excited hubbub of the crowd as the 60-second pre-midnight countdown began. The PA was also used for pre-show music and announcements before the spectacular fireworks, lighting and projection kicked off on the stroke of midnight, featuring the river, the London Eye, Big Ben and specific areas of the South Bank.
Ten banners were installed across the Victoria Embankment to provide the public with information on site exits, first aid positions and local tube station closures. These were rigged over two nights by a Summit Steel team assisted by the Metropolitan Police - who controlled the traffic. Large trees were used as fixings for the catenary cables, and a pulley system was installed that left the banners furled to one side of the road - ready for easy deployment on the afternoon of the 31st.
With high winds gusting up to 30mph forecast on the run-up and the night of the event, Summit's SmarTmasts were once again an ideal tool for the situation, fully rated for wind speeds of up to 50mph. Summit's Jon Bray says: "Experiencing the winds over the period, I was glad to know we had specific stability calculations from our engineers to determine the ballast required, and thorough wind monitoring procedures in place. This allows us to make informed decisions on the safe use of the structures in high winds."
The amount of stabilising ballast needed for the masts depends on the weight and surface area for the PA being used. Summit work closely with a team of structural engineers to determine the amount of ballast required. Wind speed meters are used on the masts, and procedures are in place for riggers to be on standby to lower the load in high wind conditions. Summit follows the wind monitoring guidelines as published by the Institute of Structural Engineers for 'Temporary Demountable Structures'.
The event was designed and produced by Jack Morton Worldwide and commissioned by The Mayor of London. Technical director was Mik Auckland, it was production managed by Lindsay Barrowclough and the show producer was Jim Donald.
While high winds and persistent rain forced the cancellation of many celebration events around the country including Hogmanay in Edinburgh and shows in Glasgow, Belfast, Liverpool (rescheduled to the 5th January) and Newcastle, London went ahead in grand style.
(Lee Baldock)
