Building ‘the king of clocks’ was a triumph over adversity and it moves with the times
“There is no reason,” said Mike McCann, the man in charge of Big Ben, as he made his way down the 334 steps from the belfry at the top of the tower, “why it should not last forever.” As the world’s most famous timepiece celebrates its 150th anniversary, that is a forthright statement of faith in a masterpiece of Victorian engineering that was deemed so ambitious at the time of its inception that many clockmakers thought it could never be built.
That the Great Westminster Clock was completed was a triumph of perseverance and ingenuity over ill-fortune and acrimony. Not only was the building of Big Ben characterised by bitter rows between some of the key figures – the lawsuits stretched on for some time afterwards – but also when the great bell that actually bears the name Big Ben was tested it cracked, and had to be broken up and recast.
Within a few months of being installed, the new bell cracked as well. The second time the damage was not too bad, however, and, since being patched up and turned a quarter-turn, the bell behind the “bongs” – was ever a musical note so instantly recognisable? – has given all but uninterrupted service.
From today Big Ben – tourist landmark, London icon, symbol of parliamentary democracy – begins a year of anniversary celebrations starting with the launch of a website (www.parliament.uk/bigben). It is a very 21st-century way of marking the survival of an institution that is rooted in the technology of another era.
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