Big Ben Bongless.

[stuey]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-36138203
That's a lot of money being spent on the old guy. Does it just chime and strike on the hour, or does it chime on the quarter-hours also? I've always wondered how far away, roughly, it can be heard.

[Mamyalynne]

A few facts here Stuey.....


http://www.bigbenfacts.co.uk/facts/



//What is the furthest you can hear the bells?

Hard to say. Some people who live near Tower Bridge report that they can hear Big Ben on a quiet evening. In the 1860s, when London was quieter, the sound would have been clearer. There are even reports that a sentry on guard at Windsor once heard the bell chime.//

[stuey]

Mamy, thanks for that interesting, and light-hearted, summary of Big Ben...Excellent.

[stuey]

I sent the link to a friend of mine who is also a clockaholic.

[Mamyalynne]

There are more lengthy pieces of course but sometimes just the bare facts will do, you're welcome.

[wolf63]

It is too much to pay for a clock in a world where everyone has a watch.

Hello Stuey and Mamy

[stuey]

That's what I liked about it: short and to the point.

[Mamyalynne]

I know what you're saying is right Susan, but tradition is so important. I know at what cost?

Maybe we should have a referendum?

[stuey]

I'm not sure about everyone having a watch anymore, wolf63; I know a lot of people who just use there cell-phones to get the time.

[anotheoldgit]

One would have thought that in this age of technology, they would have a digital standby along with an amplifier and enormous speakers? BONG, BONG,BONG.

[Old_Geezer]

......."At the third BONG it will be ten minutes past ten pm precisely .... BONG .... BONG .... BONG"....... "At the third BONG it will be eleven minutes past ten pm precisely .... BONG .... BONG .... BONG".......

[Bazile]

29 Million ?

Really ?

I'd love to see the breakdown of this cost

I suspect someone saw someone coming here and is laughing all the way to the bank

[Mamyalynne]

//How much will renovations cost?

£29m including VAT.

Where is the money coming from to fund this project?

The money to fund this project is coming from the Medium Term Investment Plan of the Parliamentary Estates.

Were other, cheaper options considered?

A range of options were considered, taking into account benefits, ongoing cost and capital costs. The option offering best value for money and the most benefits to the public and to Parliament was chosen as the recommended option.//


Other Q&As are here....

http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/big-ben/elizabeth-tower-and-big-ben-conservation-works-2017-/all-your-questions-about-the-works-answered/

[stuey]

You're right, Bazile: a lot of money. Twenty-nine million pounds! Here's a little trivia regarding the chimes: "...on the wall of a mezzanine in the stairwell of the Great Clock is a sign that attests to this fact. The words are:

'All Through This Hour
Lord be my Guide
That by Thy Power
No Foot Shall Slide'

Music From Handel's Messiah"

[Baldric]

I wish they'd done it in 2009. I spent 8 weeks in St Thomas's Hospital up on the 8th floor, if I led on my side I looked straight across the Thames on a level with Big Ben.
It was a novelty at first, I quickly learned that they played different chimes at each quarter, but by the end of 8 weeks I'd had enough.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Quarters

[jno]

you can hear them in Canada if you tune into the BBC

[stuey]

Baldric, in that situation, you could have sang "Time Is On My Side.".

[Baldric]

Stuey, I was far too busy with "Oh Woe is me"