LONDON’S ICONIC BIG BEN TO FALL SILENT FOR FOUR YEARS

London’s iconic landmark Big Ben will fall silent on Monday (August 21, 2017) for renovations for four years. And Londoners are not too happy about it, for it

will be the longest time that the Big Ben has been silenced in its 157-year history.

In keeping with health and safety rules, the 13-ton bell will go in silent mode to protect the hearing of construction workers on site while extensive repairs are done on Westminster.

The last time the Elizabeth Tower (fondly known as Big Ben) got some major TLC was over 30 years ago, and authorities think it will not need any more attention for at least 60 years after the £29 m renovations.

The Big Ben is a favourite tourist attraction and efforts are being made to ensure that at least one working clock face is visible as work goes on. Tours to the Elizabeth Tower (not open to overseas visitors but they do involve 334 steps for UK residents!) will be suspended for the full duration of the project.

This is not the first time the bong has been silenced – the bells did not chime for about nine months in 1976. Significant conservation work was also done between 1983–5, and the bells were silenced for a brief period. In 2007, there was about 6 weeks of silence for maintenance as well.

Why is Big Ben called Big Ben?

The origin of the name is not a certainty, although two theories exist:

• The first: It was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the first commissioner of works, a large man who was known affectionately in the house as “Big Ben”.

• Second theory: It was named after a heavyweight boxing champion at that time, Benjamin Caunt. Also known as “Big Ben”, this nickname was commonly bestowed in society to anything that was the heaviest in its class.

Facts about Big Ben:

• The name Big Ben is often used to describe the tower, the clock and the bell but the name was first given to the Great Bell.

• Each dial is 7m in diameter. The minute hands are 4.2 metres long (14ft) and weigh about 100kg (220lbs, including counterweights). The numbers are approximately 60cm (23in) long.

• There are 312 pieces of glass in each clock dial

• Elizabeth Tower is 96 metres tall. At clock face level – 55 metres above ground level – it does lean, by 0.22 metres towards the northwest, making it just about discernible.

• A special light above the clock faces is illuminated when parliament is in session and Big Ben’s timekeeping is strictly regulated by a stack of coins placed on the huge pendulum.

• Big Ben has rarely stopped. Even after a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber during the Second World War, the clock tower survived and Big Ben continued to strike the hours.

• The chimes of Big Ben were first broadcast by the BBC on 31 December 1923, a tradition that continues to this day.

• The latin words under the clockface read DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, which means “O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First”. In June 2012 the House of Commons announced that the clock tower was to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.

The First Clock Tower

• The original tower was built in 1288-90 during the reign of King Edward I. It was located on the north side of New Palace Yard and contained a bell and clock. The bell, first named ‘Great Edward’ and later known as ‘Great Tom’, struck on the hour.

• A second tower replaced the original in 1367. This was the first public chiming clock in England. By 1707, this tower had fallen into disrepair and was demolished. A sundial was put up in its place.

• A terrible fire destroyed most of the Palace of Westminster in 1834. Architects were invited to submit their designs for the new Palace. Out of 97 designs submitted, the architect Sir Charles Barry’s was successful. However, his winning design did not feature a clock tower. He added this to his design in 1836.

• Construction of the Clock Tower began in September 1843. This is the iconic tower which stands today in the Houses of Parliament.