Newly face-lifted Big Ben will ring in London New Year

[rooster59]

Newly face-lifted Big Ben will ring in London New Year

 

FILE PHOTO: British Union Jack flag flies in front of the clock face of Big Ben in London, Britain August 29, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Big Ben bell in parliament's landmark clock tower will ring at midnight on New Year's Eve, marking the start of a year for the first time since its new face was revealed from under scaffolding halfway through restoration work.

 

The work has seen the 96-metre-tall Elizabeth Tower, one of the most photographed buildings in Britain, enveloped in scaffolding for the last two years as the four clock dials are reglazed, ironwork repainted and intricately carved stonework cleaned and repaired.

 

In March, part of the scaffolding was removed, showing that the clock's once black numerals and hands have been repainted blue, in line with what scientists say was its original color.

 

Since restoration work began in 2017, Big Ben has been largely silenced, sounding only for important events. It last tolled on Remembrance Day on Nov. 11.

 

The bell will be tested several times in the run-up to New Year's Eve, parliament said in a statement.

 

The 4-billion-pound ($5.2 billion) restoration work is due to be completed in 2021.

 

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; editing by Stephen Addison)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-29

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[soalbundy]

5 billion !!! You could get a new one for that.

[samjaidee]

The 4bn GBP figure is the total cost of renovating the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament).

 

The highest amount I could find, published in many sources, was 61m GBP for the cost of renovating the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben).

 

Maria Kiselyova and Stephen Addison at Reuters didn't do their homework properly before publishing the story.

 

[Scott Tracy]

Typically badly researched and incomplete story, as shown by the post above. 

[wgdanson]

Why not modernise it and have a big amplifier and loudspeakers to play a mp3, no a flac, of the required sound. Get rid of all that old clockwork stuff. It could then be 'turned down a bit' at night-time. No one would know, or really care. Most people only hear it on the BBC anyway.

Edited December 29, 2019 by wgdanson

[sammieuk1]

Call everything Elizabeth for some warped reason and the taxpayer will be forced to foot the absurd bill rename the DHSS and foodbanks ????