Visit to Upton Hall

[clockboy]

A few weeks ago myself and my dearest took a short break and as it was close by we visited the horological museum at Upton Hall. Upton hall is actually run by two separate entities the museum and the training workshops which are run by the BHI.

If anyone wishes to visit be aware that their website is shows the wrong opening time it is only open for visitors on Fridays and opens at 11.00 not 10.00. I did raise this with one of the managers and was assured the site will be updated. I was also allowed to visit one of the workshops and met the tutor who was at the time overseeing a course on quartz watches.We did have an interesting conversation regarding how the industry has changed and spare parts was also debated!!.

To be honest overall I was a bit as disappointed in that there are only three rooms and I was hoping for a bigger museum. There are however on display early electric clocks,turret clocks,bracket clocks,long case clocks and a few watches mainly pocket. It also has a working expanded model displays of the various escapes and clearly shows how the various escapes work.

I found the most interesting display and a talk was on the UK talking clocks.

On display there were talking clocks through the years from the first to the latest talking clock which still is used receiving 100,000 calls per annum. The first talking clock was ingenious with the voice recorded onto spinning glass discs. However the first voice was by a telephonist Jane Cain who had a lisp so the discs had to be modified by hand to remove this imperfection and this task took 3 months to complete. 

The talking clock is still used mainly by charities to raise funds such as children in need. But for those who need the exact time such as scientists it is still used because it is almost the exact time being linked directly to Greenwich. The first UK speaking clock (1936) was accurate to within 1/10th of a second. Today’s speaking clock is within five thousandths of a second.

Overall it is well worth a visit and the BHI courses are certainly worth considering.
 

The first of two speaking clocks 1936

[nickelsilver]

I was there about 10 years ago, I remember the build quality of that talking clock was just stunning! It's true it's not a big place but they have some fabulous clocks and well worth the visit.

[VWatchie]

Thank you @clockboy and very inspirational! Next time I go to England I'll try to make a visit. Being curious, can you tell us a bit more about what was said during the "parts debate"?

[KarlvonKoln]

I plan to visit the UK someday.  And I have been gathering a list of sites to see.  Upton Hall will be on it.  I tend to like quiet, little out-of-the-way places, where I can slowly spend time looking about.  This sounds like such a place.