Piece of school memorabilia
of the old school,” she said. “Some have post-it notes on as they’ve been reserved and some are being taken to the new school. The big war memorial will be taken to the new school – we had to alter the wall to take it.
“Rather than it all be knocked down we’d rather offer it to former pupils.
“They can come on Sunday, July 22, at 3pm or Monday, July 23, and Tuesday, July 24, at 10am. Meet in the foyer of the old building. One of the old Howardians will be there to keep order!
“The move is quite sad because, despite the building, the teachers have made a fantastic effort of transforming it all – but we’re excited for the move.”
One former pupil said he was sliced into my fish, my hands were shaking slightly, my buttocks were clenching and all I could think about was how high up we were. While the sea trout was beautifully presented I’m not sure I actually tasted much of it.
But after chatting to the diners around me – some of whom were terrified of heights but thought it might be a “fun” thing to experience – the tension started easing and by the time my main course of lamb was served, I could feel myself relaxing and actually taking in the views of London in the sunshine.
Even when the platform started rotating 360 degrees for us to soak up the sights, I was feeling pretty calm.
But then another modern day concern sprang to mind. How on earth could you take those all-important selfies up there without dropping your phone? It was just a matter of being sensible really and not dangling your mobile over the edge in a bid to capture the most Instagramable view.
One thing I wasn’t expecting was for the platform to return to the ground before the mains and again before the desserts were served. This was so that any fresh food cooked on the ground could be handed to the chef.
Unfortunately, the timings must have delighted to have the chance to capture a bit of his educational history.
Martin Doe, who attended the school from 1972-74, said: “It’s quite sad really, so I’d like to have something.”
The previous school on the site counts the likes of Sir Michael and conductor Owain Arwel Hughes as alumni.
Cardiff-born venture capitalist Sir Michael made his fortune from a series of shrewd investments in technology and social media companies.
He was an early backer of Google, seeing his firm Sequoia Capital’s £8m investment grow to a peak of £6.3bn.
He and his wife, American author Harriet Heyman, enjoy an estimated shared wealth of £2.629bn. been out on this particular flight as no sooner had I received my main dish we had returned to the ground to collect the puddings so I ate most of my lamb dinner on terra firma, which surely defeated the whole object of the “dinner in the sky” experience. I also felt a bit rushed as my dessert was placed before me while I was still eating my mains.
While the chef explained what each course was, it was difficult to hear him speak so a microphone would have helped. And it would have been nice to have a little more interaction.
What wasn’t so difficult to hear was the music which came on halfway through the meal. Yes it would have been lovely having some soothing tunes as you tucked into your meal and took in the glorious surroundings – but this was of the pumping, thumping variety which would have been more at home on a Corfu party boat.
So was it worth the £125 it cost for the London lunch (the Cardiff lunches will be £95)?
Overall, the food was lovely – beautifully presented and well cooked – but this is more about the experience.
Yes it’s a gimmick, but if you enjoy your meal with a view and you’re not afraid of heights then it’s well worth buying a ticket. It’s something you’ll never forget – just make sure you go to the loo before boarding.
Cardiff In The Sky will be outside Cardiff City Hall from Wednesday, September 12, to Sunday, September 16.
Each day flights will serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and cocktails.
Many local bars and restaurants will be serving the diners, including Michelin-starred James Sommerin, cocktail bar Lab 22 and Bara Menyn, which will dish up the breakfasts.
Prices range from £50 for breakfast to £150 for the dinner but many tickets have already sold out.
Tickets for the lunches are going on sale on Friday, July 13, priced at £95 per person. They will be delivered by Cardiff’s Chapel 1877 and the Potted Pig.
Visit the Cardiff In The Sky Facebook page.