Restoration of “Big Ben”

Cheltenham Branch’s March meeting was preceded by a snowfall the night before. Despite this, there was an extremely good turn out to hear Keith Scobie-Youngs’ talk on the restoration of the Westminster Great Clock (“Big Ben”), with many new faces in the audience. Having been hands-on in the restoration project undertaken by The Cumbria Clock Company which he co-founded, Keith’s insights ranged from the purely historical through technical and anecdotal, to downright wistful This made for an informative and entertaining talk appreciated both by the dedicated horologists and the purely inquisitive in the audience. Members and their guests were introduced subjects ranging from: Lord Grimethorpe’s horological legacy; the lost skills of Victorian sand casting; a scene that could have been from Indiana Jones; and the traces left by clock winders long gone. The members of Cheltenham and other branches, together with their guests, are deeply indebted to Keith for his unique insights and engaging perspective on a once in a lifetime project.

Big Ben