After five long years of restoration, London’s Big Ben, probably the most famous clock in the worldwill officially come out of silence on Sunday to return to mark the rhythm of the days in the British capital.
With its immense bell of 13.7 tonsthe great clock that dominates the British Parliament will resume its normal activity after a thorough cleaning of the more than 1,000 pieces that make up its mechanism.
In August 2017, crowds gathered in Westminster to listen the last chimes of its five cast iron bells. Some even shed a tear.
Many will gather there again this Sunday at 11am GMT (8am Argentina) to hear again the sound of this symbol of London: its carillon of four bells it will ring every quarter of an hour while the main bell will do it every hour, as during the 158 years preceding the restructuring.
The date coincides with the Sunday following November 11, UK Day commemorates the Armistice of World War I.
For the past five years, Big Ben has been ringing rarely using a replacement electric mechanism, the latest for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September.
At the top of the 96m high “Elizabethan Tower” of the Palace of Westminster, the bells are protected by an external net to prevent the entry of bats and pigeons.
From there, the view of London It’s spectacular, but the three watchmakers responsible for Big Ben have no time to enjoy it.
Ian Westworth, 60, and his colleagues are busy finalizing the final tests and make sure everything is working properly after an £80m refurbishment (93 million dollars).
“The sound of London is back,” Westworth says during a morning visit to the bell tower.
“These bells have rung going through wars“, he underlines, struck by all the transformations of the city they have witnessed.
The “Elizabethan Tower”, the new name given to the clock tower in 2012 on the occasion of the Monarch’s Diamond Jubilee, It was built in 1840.
At the moment, no traffic or skyscrapers“on a quiet night you could hear (Big Ben) up to 24 km away“remembers the watchmaker.
How was the restoration
The restoration involved clean and paint the arms and hammers but the bells did not move.
The main bell, Big Ben, it’s so big that to move it he would have had to lift the entire floor of the bell tower.
The hardest part was taking the clock mechanism apart 11.5 tonsdating from 1859, to clean it.
Also, 28 LED lights now they light up the four faces of the clock, with colors ranging from green to white to look as much like Victorian-era gaslights as possible.
Another larger light, white in colour, has been placed above the bells to indicate when Parliament is in session.
Before the renovation, watchmakers checked the accuracy of the time using their phones. now the clock It is calibrated by GPS.
But the method of setting the time is still very traditional – using ancient coins to add or subtract weight to the gigantic clock springs, making it possible to gain or lose a second.
In the bell tower, during the previous trials, you have to wear earplugs and earmuffs to protect the eardrums as each new hour approaches.
It’s seven in the morning and Big Ben, a symbol of stability in a chaotic British political environment— resounds seven times with thunder.
Though deafening, the toll is unmistakable It is also a sign of stability after a few years of major political turmoil in the UK and while the rest of the Palace of Westminster falls apart.
The impressive Gothic complex on the banks of the Thames it needs a huge overhaul but political wrangling over its high cost delayed it.
Meanwhile, Westworth and his colleague Alex Jeffrey, 35, remain focused on their work: looking after the 2,000 clocks of the British Parliament. “It’s the best job in the world”assures the youngest.
AFP
Source: Clarin
