Glen in Tower Hamlets is 51-60 and is Tower Bridge Technical Officer.
Glen is a mechanical engineer by training, and now works in the control cabin at one of London’s most iconic Landmarks, Tower Bridge. It is Glen’s job to raise and lower the bridge several times a day to allow shipping to pass underneath. A self-pronounced problem-solver, Glen is inspired by his unique workplace and his central role in one of London’s most photographed daily rituals.
This is film is the first in the Londoners of the Thames – 1000 Londoners Totally Thames 2014 series.
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Film Maker: Mark Currie, Nick Shaw
Questions & Answers
- What's your first memory of London? Blimey! Coming on the train with my dad who was a train driver, going to the science museum, it was wonderful. And the Natural History Museum. I suppose my engineering interest sparked from then.
- What do you miss when you're away from London? The liveliness of the place, the amount of people.
- What's your favourite neighbourhood? The South Bank. Walking from Tower Bridge to the Eye, it's full of entertainment.
- What's your favourite building? Tower Bridge
- What's your ideal day out in London? I'm trying to organise a tour with my Grandkids on an open top bus. That would be fantastic.
- What's your ideal night out in London? A quiet night in a pub with something to eat, or NYE opening the bridge and go to a chinese restaurant.
- What's your most hated building? The hotel Guoman? It's a strange concrete structure.
- What's the best view in London? Tower Bridge from London Bridge at night,.
- What's your favourite open space? That's tricky. I enjoy wandering around kew gardens.
- What's the most interesting shop? I'm not a shopper, not really. There's a little old locksmith I think where you get served out of a little hatch, it's on Great Southwark Street.
- What's your favourite place to hang out? I find the Thames Barrier interesting. I'd go there and have a look. Always thinking about engineering
- What's been your most memorable night out in London? I was working, doing a lift, when a person got caught in the road gate. It was Bill Clinton coming across in his motorcade! His limo got stuck
- Where would you take someone visiting from out of town? All around this area; Tower of London, HMS Belfast.
- What's the worst journey you've had to make in London? Commuting in every day. One day I couldnt even get into the car park!
- What's your personal London landmark? I dont know why but the Post Office Tower is a marvel of engineering, especially the rotating restaurant.
- Who's your favourite fictional Londoner? Sherlock Holmes, I love the mysteries of how he solves the crimes.
- What's your favourite London film, book or documentary? The Crossrail documentary on channel 4 that was just on. It's fascinating seeing how they are digging those tunnels.
- If you could travel to any time period in London, past or future, where would you go? Back to after the Great Fire of London - to see how things were being rebuilt.
- For you, who is the ultimate Londoner? Sherlock Holmes. They made a Sherlock Holmes film here. They needed scaff and gantries all around the bridge for the filming.