The famous chimes of Big Ben at 21. August was the last Time sound. Then the bell of the clock tower is closed for renovation for four years.
The clock tower Big Ben is part of the Westminster Palace – the seat of Parliament and one of the main tourist attractions in London. Now the hammers are stopped and parked, beating the 13.7-ton bell for over 150 years, on an hourly basis.
Steve Jaggs, the Parliament is responsible for Big Ben, encourages tourists, on the next Monday (21.8.) to gather at the nearby Parliament Square to the next to the last chime to listen to. In the next four years, the famous “thing is supposed to sound-Dong” then only to major events such as new year.
As part of the Work, the watch case is disassembled, every Gear is examined and restored. The four dials are cleaned and repaired, your cast-iron frames have been replaced, the pointer is removed and worked up.
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Big Ben is already upgraded half-pressed, due to the ongoing renovation of the tower building. One of the four tower clocks will be functioning and also when it displays the hours and then still. The movement is operated by a modern electric motor, to the original mechanism is again used. The other bells, the beat every quarter of an hour, be retained during the renovation work to a standstill.
The 96 Meter high clock tower was renamed four years ago, officially the Elizabeth Tower, but is commonly called – the largest of its five bells – Big Ben. In 2021, the restoration should be finished work. Then Big Ben’s bell again, as usual, to be sounded.
kml, fm / ks (reuters, afp)