Big Ben stops – for four years

Big BenThe statue of former British Prime Minister David Lloyd George is silhouetted against the Queen Elizabeth Tower which holds the bell known as 'Big Ben' in London, Monday, Aug. 14, 2017. Big Ben will fall silent next week in London as a major restoration project gets underway. The bongs of the iconic bell will be stopped on Aug. 21 to protect workers during a four-year, 29-million-pound ($38 million) conservation project that includes repair of the Queen Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben and its clock. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

The Britans love the sound of Big Ben, but now the world-famous clock will remain silent for four whole years. The clockwork is worn and requires a little care.

– This is a milestone in a crucial conservation project. The work will ensure the operation of the clockwork for a long time, as well as preserve the tower, the Elizabeth Tower, says Steve Jaggs.

He is the man with the honorable title ‘Keeper of the Great Clock’.

The bells of Big Ben are some of the most arch-British things. The chimes are known worldwide, not least because the BBC used them in their radio and television programs for years. Big Ben is next to the Houses of Parliament.

The big clock is the one that is popularly called Big Ben. It weighs 13.7 tonnes and strikes every hour with the note of E. Four smaller clocks chime every quarter.

The last day of the famous «bong» will be 21 August at 12 noon local time.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today

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