BRITISH GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS CONVERTING BIG BEN TO DIGITAL

April 20 2009

London, U.K. – There are only a few clocks that have ever gained international recognition as has the clock tower at the House of Parliament in London. Big Ben is one of those lucky few but for many the tower is more than just a clock, it is a symbol of London and Britain herself. The hourly chimes heard across the city, the towering visage along the Thames, and the flocks of visitors who every year snap thousands upon thousands of pictures ensure that the clock is forever an enduring icon of the city.

Time though catches everything, even clocks, and one the eve of Ben’s 150th anniversary government officials are weighing a new plan that will bring the iconic figure into the 21st century. The proposal set before the government is to install digital displays rather than the traditional circular clock face. The proposal also seeks to change the resonant hourly bell with a loud buzzing sound that will be heard across the city.

“Changing an icon is always a difficult thing but sometimes it has to happen just to keep pace with the modern age. It is just a proposal at this point but I think totally reasonable to expect this change will take place, though likely after the anniversary,” said Scrape TV British analyst Nigel Northington. “This isn’t the first time such a proposal has been tabled but it’s the first time in a long time that the cost of keeping the traditional clock has weighed so heavily on the books. Britain is suffering through this recession like everyone else and the costs associated with keeping the clock going can be quite extraordinary. Normally Brits would keep with tradition even
through hard times, but we are talking about a clock not conquering a nation here.”

Though exact financial numbers have not been revealed, the savings are believed to be quite significant in the long term.  

“The clock needs to be wound every three days, adjustments need to be made, the bell requires regular cleaning, and birds of course, the nesting of birds creates a huge mess. All that needs to be tended to by personnel which cost a lot of money. Though the initial costs of installing the new clock will be high, in theory virtually no maintenance will
ever have to be done and you will be stuck with a small electrical bill,” continued Northington. “True, switching over won’t bring the U.K. out of the recession but it’s better to save the money than it is to spend it, even if it means doing away with tradition.”

It is also believed that many youth will have an easier time reading the clock if it is presented in digital time though it is not clear how many citizens still use the clock to actually tell the time.

“It’s really an outrage. Britain is the stiff upper lip and this is nothing more than bowing to pressure from special interest groups and apologists. Big Ben is Britain and changing that will irrevocably change the makeup of the country for the worst,” said Marie Coughlin of the London Vendors Association, the body that protects food vendors and trinket dealers. “Changing this will destroy not only the image of Britain throughout the world, but the image Britons have of themselves. We do not change, we make the world Britain. We urge Prime Minister Brown to reject this proposal.”

Big Ben is one of a number of famous clocks being considered for the digital switch. Others include the
Jubilee clocks throughout the U.K., and St. Mark’s clock in Venice. Most of those have very poor trinket lobbyists.

“Times change and it may be time for Britons to realize that,” continued Northington. “You can’t hold onto the past forever. Really there’s no better time than now.”

There are also competing proposals to change the face to a sundial, an hour glass, and adding a calculator to a digital interface though none of those are seen as likely possibilities.  

Emil Uliya, International Correspondent

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