Rain chose the prompt "Clocks" for this week and I immediately had to think of one of the most famous clocks in the world - Big Ben, the nickname of the beloved clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London. It holds the Great Bell and I'm pretty sure that everyone would recognize the sound of the four quarter bells which chime on the quarter hours. If not, you can listen to the quarter bells and the Great Bell here.
The clock tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a Perpendicular Gothic Revival style and was completed in 1859. It is 316 feet (96 meters) tall and 334 steps lead from ground level to the belfry. The dials of the clock are 22.5 feet (6.9 meters) in diameter.
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The clock still uses its original mechanism. It was designed by Edmund Beckett Denison and George Airy, the Astronomer Royal at the time, and constructed by Edward John Dent and Frederick Dent. The first Dent mentioned was a famous English watchmaker noted for his highly accurate clocks and marine chronometers. The clock is highly reliable and can be adjusted by adding or removing pre-decimal pennies (the old penny used before 1971) from the pendulum. The Great Bell weighs 13.5 long tons (13.7 tonnes; 15.1 short tons). You don't want that to fall on your feet.
Big Ben was officially named Clock Tower until 2012 when it was renamed to Elizabeth Tower to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The nickname Big Ben originally refered to the Great Bell, but is widely used for the entire tower.
Big Ben is a British cultural icon, easily recognizable. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. During its recent renovation, the bells remained silent between 2017 and 2021.
Right across from Big Ben stands the statue of the greatest British politician of the 20th century, Sir Winston Churchill. You can see Big Ben through his legs.
And if you feel like it, you can give Big Ben a kiss. Why not?
(This face is for Nicole's Friday Face Off)
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Since this is for Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date, let's have some typical British pub food - fish and chips with mushy peas. Don't forget a pint of beer to go with it.
