London's Big Ben to fall silent for 4 years

Greetings ATS Readers,

Big Ben will stop ringing at noon on August 21, falling silent for most of the next four years while renovation works are carried out, the British House of Commons said on Monday.

The hammers which have struck the 13.7-tonne bell in the British Parliament's famous clock tower every hour for most of the last 157 years will be locked and disconnected from the clock.

However the bongs will still sound for important events, such as New Year's Eve celebrations

London's Big Ben to fall silent for 4 years

One of the most famous icons to fall silent whilst being repaired..on August 21st.... same date as eclipse in USA...

Pravdaseeker

a reply to: pravdaseeker

Is anyone else's doomometer ticking quite high right now?

a reply to: pravdaseeker

It was also silent 1983-1985 for repairs.
And in 2007 for more maintenance.

World still carried on just fine.

a reply to: pravdaseeker

Nice avatar

I heard they're swapping the mechanism out and replacing it with a solar powered Casio clock.

About time.

What I don’t understand is why they chose to use recordings of Big Ben on the news instead of using live chimes from another tower, with Nottingham being the option. I don’t know if Lincoln has a bell, presumably it does, but since the cathedral spire was the tallest structure in the world when built, surpassing the Great Pyramid of Giza, then it would certainly be of historical relevance. Personally, I’d rather the idea of live chimes than recordings.

Couple of little bits of information, for anyone interested.

Big Ben isn't the name of the tower or the clock. It's the name of the great bell inside.

The clock tower is part of the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London.

The name of the clock tower was called Clock Tower until 2012, when it was renamed Elizabeth Tower to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

This information have been brought to you and sponsored by a bored brit on a Monday evening.

a reply to: TerryDon79

Boring news report #2

The Liver Building in Liverpool has the largest clock faces in England. Apparently they use a two pence piece as a weight to ensure it keeps time. It's an electric mechanism, but I was straight-faced told by its caretaker. He pointed at this 2p and I've never shaken the feeling he was taking the piss lol.

originally posted by: Kandinsky
a reply to: TerryDon79

but I was straight-faced told by its caretaker

That's why parents say never talk to strangers.

I remember in the 1980's when the bell stopped tolling. Think BBC Radio 4 simply replaced it with the pips (Greenwich Time Signal).

I disagree with an earlier contributor. The world wasn't the same without Big Ben's chimes. You find as you get older that you enjoy things which are familiar. That's why when you walk into Granny's house you find her surrounded by old furniture, yellowing photos of the dead etc. It's a comfort thing.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens ...

a reply to: TerryDon79

Huh, well I'll be a monkey's uncle.

I didn't know Clock Tower was renamed after queenie's jubilee... WTH ?


Apparently I've been asleep at the wheel for the past 5 years.

I'm not from London, but when I have stayed down there, it's always felt a little bit special to hear the chimes. Especially in the evening in December (which is usually when I go down to the smoke).

Guess I will have to wait to hear them again for quite some time.

A special little gift for those of you who feel lonely and out of sorts when you start missing the sounds of big ben, you can just play this back to yourself over and over and over:

a reply to: TerryDon79

At the third stroke, the time, sponsored by Accurist, is... oh bloody baloney, we don’t know because Big Ben broke.

Greetings,

HA!... Yeah, we might be avatar cousins mate!

Problem is, as I get older, the avatar is more like a replica of my image. Ha!

a reply to: Kandinsky

Hello TerryDon79,

Now that mention it, you are 100% correct...

Being a history nut, I appreciate your post.

Of all the overseas destinations, London is one I would like to visit someday.

Looking forward to becoming an Aussie citizen before too long, it is a thing that a lot of Aussies do.

Visiting the "motherland" so to speak.

Pravdaseeker
a reply to: TerryDon79

Hello TheShippingForecast,

Yeah, you got the gist of my posting this.

I suppose those who live there, or that are in earshot of it, won't miss it, maybe they will.

From my upbringing it was almost always the "face" of England. Similar to the Eiffel Tower for France.

Your thoughts went to England, and "boom" Big Ben comes instantly into your thoughts.

Yes.. whiskers on cats thing... and like slobbers and Saint Bernard's too... well wait.. that didn't quite evoke the same feeling now did it?

Looks like I won't be travelling to London until this tower and it clock are repaired now...

Pravdaseeker
a reply to: TheShippingForecast

a reply to: pravdaseeker

It'll still look the same (unless they're doing work on the outside. Then you'll see scaffolding). The only thing that will be different is the lack of dinging and donging.

originally posted by: Kandinsky
a reply to: TerryDon79

Boring news report #2

The Liver Building in Liverpool has the largest clock faces in England. Apparently they use a two pence piece as a weight to ensure it keeps time. It's an electric mechanism, but I was straight-faced told by its caretaker. He pointed at this 2p and I've never shaken the feeling he was taking the piss lol.

According to local folklore the bird on top of the Liver Building, known as the Liver Bird, flaps its wings every time a virgin walks past.