▁The ▁Sultan ' s ▁Ele ph ant ▁which ▁visited ▁London ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁▁ ▁Both ▁projects ▁were ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁UK ▁by ▁the ▁company ▁and ▁char itable ▁trust ▁Art ich oke . ▁ ▁The ▁sp ider ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁N antes ▁in ▁France , ▁using ▁steel ▁and ▁pop lar ▁wood ▁and ▁complex ▁hyd ra ul ics , ▁and ▁took ▁an ▁entire ▁year ▁to ▁construct . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁Mer se ys ide ▁and ▁assemble d ▁in ▁a ▁secret ▁location , ▁the ▁C amm ell ▁La ird ▁ship yard ▁in ▁Bir ken head . ▁ ▁It ▁we igh s ▁ 3 7 ▁t onnes , ▁has ▁ 5 0 ▁axes ▁of ▁movement ▁and ▁is ▁operated ▁by ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 2 ▁people ▁stra pped ▁to ▁its ▁body . ▁When ▁operated , ▁it ▁moves ▁at ▁ 2 ▁miles ▁per ▁hour ; ▁to ▁move ▁it ▁around ▁the ▁streets ▁requires ▁ 1 6 ▁c ran es , ▁six ▁for kl ift ▁tr uck s , ▁eight ▁cher ry ▁pick ers ▁and ▁ 2 5 0 ▁crew . ▁ ▁The ▁sp ider ▁had ▁seven ▁different ▁special ▁effects : ▁rain , ▁fl ame , ▁smoke , ▁wind , ▁snow , ▁light ▁and ▁sound . ▁Street ▁lights ▁and ▁a ▁round about ▁outside ▁the ▁Queens way ▁T unnel ▁entrance ▁were ▁removed ▁to ▁allow ▁its ▁progress . ▁ ▁Performance ▁and ▁narr ative ▁ ▁The ▁performance ▁artists ▁of ▁La ▁Machine ▁created ▁a ▁story ▁about ▁the ▁sp ider ▁with ▁one ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁company ▁playing ▁scient