To think that Big Ben will chime for the last time tomorrow

[CastIronCookware]

If there is a change in Government while while the mechanism is being refurbished, will Labour honour the planned work or will they divert the tens of millions it will cost into public services?

i think it's a bit daft and a shame really, was talking about this with my dad this afternoon who said that the didn't stop chiming during the blitz so they should continue.

But what has Blitz have to do with it? Presumably the engineers have decided that this maintenance period is required now. It's a clock that needs some work done on it, it's not the beating heart of the UK. People will survive.

It won't be the last but it will be strange not to hear it when in the vicinity. Especially on a day such as November 11th

The current plan is to reassemble the mechanism for NYE and Remembrance Day - there is also a proposal for it to chime on the day of leaving the EU. I imagine that there will be other state occasions it will be put into action for, too.

It takes half a day to rebuild it sufficiently for the chimes.

It's not just the bells though - clocks hands will be periodically missing over the next 4 years,too.

I think there are lots of people who wouldn't be that bothered.

I thought you were predicting Armageddon

Me too! I was wondering the if the OP knew something we didn't....

just saying what my dad said squoosh! i expect alot of london pensioners would feel the same.

It was silent for refurbishment for months in 1983, 1985 and 2007.

It's not unprecedented, other than for the estimated time it is going to take to do these works.

They can activate it for Remembrance Day and New Year. I doubt any other bongs really get noticed much.

How long is this maintenance going to take???!

I doubt any other bongs really get noticed much.

Oh, I think they do - both by the flocks of tourists and the regular commuters who work in the area.

uokbing. It's scheduled to be Four Years before Big Ben chimes hourly again.

I doubt any other bongs really get noticed much

Well I was there today and hearing them for the first time in real life was amazing. Am sure I am not the first person to think that.

I have no issue with the refurbishment or anything. I did take issue with them possibly staying there whilst it went on and possibly costing an extra £2Bn, but thankfully they've seen sense and are vacating for 6 years from 2022.

I don't see the fuss over Big Ben chiming for a while - it's only basically for tourists these days. Special occasions like Remembrance Sunday and NYE it will still be ringing. It's mainly stopping to preserve the hearing of the construction workers.

I live nearby and like hearing the chimes - they let me know if I'm running late in the morning.

Parliament has a budget independent of Government. It is Parliament that will pay for Big Ben repairs, the works were agreed by a cross party select committee. The Government of the day does not dictate parliamentary spending.

Which Party is in power makes no difference. Parliament is independent of Government.

Babycham - no decision has been made about the larger refurbishment and MPs moving out for years to make it cheaper. It needed a vote in both houses but that has not happened.

All decisions have been derailed but brexit and the minority government. I highly doubt they will agree to move out in current circumstances and the works are urgent so by default the works will happen around the resident MPs and will cost the extra billions.

What the hell has the Blitz got to do with it? The Luftwaffe weren't finding London by sound but we turned off the lights on the clock face. (The bell was silenced in WWI because the zeppelins and lower flying planes of that time could have heard it). No work was carried out at the time because they had other priorities, and if it had been they wouldn't have had the luxury of concern for workers' hearing...now we do. Honestly you'd think it had rung continuously with no stoppages since the reign of Victoria for the fuss some people are making.