Big Ben's back! World-famous ringer now functional after five-year restoration project
The Big Ben to resume after five years
The well-renowned ringer - The Big Benis back with a "bong" following a five-year repair project. Aftera lengthy restoration plan involving more than 1,000 moving components, the giantclock that looms above Britain's Houses of Parliament is now working seamlessly.The five cast-iron bells of the clock, including Big Ben, had stopped ringing in 2017.After a week of trials, normal service will resume every 15 minutes from 11:00 am (1100 GMT) on Sunday.The daycommemorates the moment when World War I's guns finally fell silent on November 11, 1918. In Britain, Remembrance Sunday always follows Armistice Day on November 11.
Big Ben and his partner have rung only twice since 2017 - when Britain left the European Union in 2021 and at the funeral ofQueen Elizabeth II in September.
The bells are situatedin a belfry atop the 96-metre (315-foot) Elizabeth Tower, which is surrounded by external protective netsto keep away bats and pigeons. Some of London's most breathtaking views can be witnessed from here.
The latest trialshave been closely monitored by Ian Westworth, 60, and his colleagues to make sure that all systems run smoothlyafter the £80-million ($90-million) restoration.
“It’s the sound of London back again," Westworth told AFP on a dawn tour of the tower.
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“The bell’s sounded through wars, and you try and imagine what this bell’s actually seen — 160 years of development."
The Elizabeth Tower was previously called the Clock Tower. In 2012, it was renamed to honour the late Queen Elizabeth II'sdiamond jubilee. In the 1840s, it stood tall as the most dominant in the Westminster skyline.
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“You used to be able to hear this (Big Ben) on a quiet night up to 15 miles (24 kilometres) away," Westworth said, as a chill wind whistled through the belfry.
The restoration project
The five-year restoration work entailedcleaning and repainting each of the five bells’ hammers and arms. Owing to the Big Ben's size, the flooring in the tower beneath will have to be dismantled if it ever had to be removed.
The most cumbersome task was disassembling the 11.5-tonne clock mechanism from 1859 so a specialised business in Cumbria, northwest England, could clean, repair, and re-oil every cog and pinion. Other modifications were purely cosmetic in nature.
The four clock faces are currently illuminated by 28 spherical LED lights, with a balance of green and white providing the most accurate representation of how they would have appeared in gas-lit Victorian days. When the parliament is in session, a taller LED light rests over the bells and emits a white glow.
(With inputs from agencies)
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