They could replace it with a digital clock with atomic precision accuracy for about 5 million...............
Posted on 08/14/2017 6:27:33 AM PDT by Red Badger
Britain's much-loved Big Ben will fall silent for four years from next week as conservation work is carried out on the famous 19th century bell in a clock tower next to the Houses of Parliament.
"Big Ben falling silent is a significant milestone in this crucial conservation project," Steve Jaggs, whose official title is "Keeper of the Great Clock", said in a parliament statement on Monday.
"This essential programme of works will safeguard the clock on a long term basis, as well as protecting and preserving its home -- the Elizabeth Tower," he said.
It will be the longest period that Big Ben, whose bongs are familiar to many people around the world because of their use in BBC radio and television broadcasts, has been silent in its 157-year history.
The Great Bell, popularly called Big Ben, weighs 13.7 tonnes and strikes every hour to the note of E. Four smaller bells also chime every 15 minutes.
The last bong before the refurbishment will be at 12 pm (1100 GMT) on August 21, the statement said.
The clock will still tell the time silently until 2021 and the chimes will continue to be rung on important occasions such as New Year's Eve.
The Elizabeth Tower, which is 96 metres (315 feet) high, is the most photographed building in Britain.
The tower itself is commonly referred to as Big Ben even though the name applies only to the bell.
The clock's cogs and hands as well as the four dials will be removed, cleaned up and repaired as part of the work.
The project's cost was estimated last year at £29 million (31.9 million euros, $37.7 million).
Because the clock mechanism will be temporarily out of action, a modern electric motor will drive the clock hands until the clock is reinstated.
Parliament also said that the clock's faces would have to be covered up while they are being repaired.
"However, to ensure that the public are still able to set their watches by this most important of time pieces, one working clock face will remain visible at all times throughout the works," it said.
You can.
People always lie on their resume........
They could replace it with a digital clock with atomic precision accuracy for about 5 million...............
Soon to become not-so-Great Britain’s tallest minaret.
Big Ben survived the blitz, the V1 and V2 rockets and still rings.
It will be a sad day when the goat humpers silence It for good when they take over.
The Chimes Of Big Ben was a really good episode of The Prisoner.
“It can be replaced with loudspeakers issuing the five-times-daily call to prayer.”
First thing I thought of. I bet London’s mayor dreams of doing it.
What’s the over/under that it will ever ring again? Maybe Mayor Khan can be consulted on the British future in 4 years.
...bong ping....
Crap, I thought Roethlisberger was giving up his horrible radio gig.
Four years isn’t bad, considering the world-wide shortage of qualified watchmakers. I’d love to take on the job, but I’m too far behind wih the American pocket watches here in the shop. Sorry
In other words, he is the Bongmaster.
A couple of years ago I watched some program about the rich young Arabs and their “summer season” in London, making a general nuisance of themselves in their gaudy supercars. At one point one of those arrogant slugs was driving past Big Ben as it chimed, and he said to his co-driver that “once the place is fully ours, it will be silenced.” The hatred was tangible.
And here we are...
4 years to fix a clock?
Government workers...................
It’s always harder to fix things than to break things.
“My cousin’s gay, he went to London......He was so disappointed. He found out that Big Ben was a clock.” - Rodney Dangerfield.
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