It’s one of the city centre’s most-loved landmarks – but it’s probably best not to use the Clock Tower to set your watch right now, as it’s running almost four minutes late.
The tardiness was spotted by eagle-eyed Ben Collier, who can see the tower from the Ocasta Studios offices in Norwood House, Dyke Road.
He said: “ The Clock Tower’s clock is off by three minutes, 45 seconds. I enjoy the ball drop every hour but the fact it’s late troubles me.
“We can see it from the window, the ball drops once an hour but the time is slightly wrong.”
A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council, which maintains the Clock Tower, said: “The issue has been passed to the relevant department and will be dealt with in due course.”
The Grade II listed Jubilee Clock Tower, to give it its full name, was built in 1888 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
The time ball – a hydraulically operated copper sphere – was designed by Magnus Volk and originally operated based on signals transmitted by landline from the Greenwich Observatory.
It operated for only a few years before being stopped because of complaints about the noise. When the clock was restored in 2002, the mast and ball were re-designed.
Another great repair job by our fantastic public sector contractors. Looks like we’ll just have to pay them all over again to repair it. Bring on the scaffolding!
Another great repair job by our fantastic public sector contractors. Looks like we’ll just have to pay them all over again to repair it. Bring on the scaffolding!
Wasn’t it covered up for ages and ‘restored to its former glory’ seems like more money having to be spent as I guess the warranty has run out you normally only get a year now and then they want you to buy insurance which costs more than the object you bought . Just thought I would throw that one in.
Wasn’t it covered up for ages and ‘restored to its former glory’ seems like more money having to be spent as I guess the warranty has run out you normally only get a year now and then they want you to buy insurance which costs more than the object you bought . Just thought I would throw that one in.