Stopped clocks are a symptom of our decaying public spaces

[clockboy]

Interesting link published in the Daily Telegraph. Well worth a read IMO
 

http://digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/1964/reader/reader.html?social#!preferred/0/package/1964/pub/1964/page/54/article/NaN

[HectorLooi]

In the early days we used to check the time on our watches against public clocks to see if they were accurate.

Nowadays it's the other way round. 

[oldhippy]

I remember the speaking clock. You dialed 123   

[nickelsilver]

9 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

I remember the speaking clock. You dialed 123   

I saw it at BHI headquarters some years ago, the whole contraption was beautifully made!

[RichardHarris123]

8 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

I remember the speaking clock. You dialed 123   

The museum of timekeeping has all the speaking clocks.  I believe it's still available but is just a computer these days. 

[Dell]

57 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

I remember the speaking clock. You dialed 123   

We are showing our age now because I remember it as well.

the clock in our village church has just been restored but it doesn’t have any face just strikes the hours & 1/2 hour.

[Knebo]

"An army of clock-winders once serviced the nation’s public clocks. Over time, their numbers dwindled as mechanisms were electrified".... 

... and as predicted by neo-liberal economic theory (which I was taught at university), all clock-winders quickly retrained as IT engineers and found higher paid jobs, also raising the UK's GDP by 5%.

 

 

That's what happened, right?? 

Edited February 3 by Knebo

[RichardHarris123]

22 minutes ago, Knebo said:

"An army of clock-winders once serviced the nation’s public clocks. Over time, their numbers dwindled as mechanisms were electrified".... 

... and as predicted by neo-liberal economic theory (which I was taught at university), all clock-winders quickly retrained as IT engineers and found higher paid jobs, also raising the UK's GDP by 5%.

 

 

That's what happened, right?? 

Is that what happened to knocker upers, and gas light lighters? 

[Knebo]

1 hour ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Is that what happened to knocker upers, and gas light lighters? 

I thought EVERYONE is in IT or banking these days. 

[tomh207]

30 minutes ago, Knebo said:

I thought EVERYONE is in IT or banking these days. 

Yup, the standards have gone down drastically 

 

Tom

[oldhippy]

Years ago I was asked if I would like to wind the church clock each week. I declined because I'm afraid of heights.  

[ColinC]

I saw a great YouTube video about the speaking clock - a restoration project!

OK had a Quick Look again and it only mentions a similar device at the end that was used for the speaking clock...

 

Edited February 4 by ColinC

[MikeEll]

the modern equivalent I use to set all my clocks is https://time.is/, or you could just as easily use a smartphone as they sync their time from the net too.