UK People: What are these structures?

On our visits to the UK, SWMBO & I have often seen these cylindrical structures dotted about, particularly around London. What are they for?

(Manchester) Some kind of flexible storage tank?

Thanks

Gasometers.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/264609.stm

Thanks. That was actually our best guess -- oversized pressure tanks for gas. I haven't seen those over here, but something similar must exist in a different form.

Cheers

We had them here in the states, or at least in the Los Angeles area. I recall an episode of "Emergency!" from the early '70s that featured one of these.

We had them here too. And

http://web.archive.org/web/20080110055014/http://www.wqed.org/mag/columns/sebak/2006/1106_explosion.shtml

I actually know where the one that Mark linked to is, it's behind the Manchester City Football ground, I know this because I blew a car up for a Music Video in front of it just a few weeks back....

https://vimeo.com/108291932

Cheers

Cris