Quirky press release
Restoration nears completion – August 2002
BRIGHTON’s historic
Jubilee Clock Tower is to
receive its newly
restored mast and rising
ball mechanism this
Monday, 2 September.
The delicate operation
involves lifting the new
bronze mast, complete
with a gilded copper ball
weighing 100 kilos, to
the top of the tower and
securing it in place. To
ensure safety the work
will be carried out
between 00.30am and
6.30am on Monday morning.
All the roads around the
Clock Tower will be
closed to traffic, and
pedestrians will also be
prevented from entering
the immediate area.
Councillor Chris Morley,
chair of the environment
committee, said: “This
will be an historic
moment. The Clock Tower,
built in 1888 to
commemorate Queen
Victoria’s Jubilee the
previous year, has not
been fully operational
for 100 years, so it
entirely fitting that we
are bringing it back to
full working order
during Queen Elizabeth’s
Golden Jubilee this
year.”
The rising and falling
ball was originally
stopped in 1902 as the
noise was said to be
“frightening the horses.”
Once operational the ball
will rise up and down the
mast, hourly, in
synchronisation with the
hands of the clock.
Following installation of
the mast and ball the
scaffolding will remain
in place while the
finishing touches are
added. These include
painting and additional
gilding work to the
scales at the top of the
tower, in accordance with
the original appearance,
further cleaning, and
reinstatement of the
refurbished clock hands.
Weather permitting, these
works are expected to be
completed by the end of
September, but fine
weather is essential to
carry out the additional
gilding.
The total cost of the
completed project will be
in the region of
£100,000, and includes
contributions from Boots
and The Regency Society.
The works on Monday
morning are being carried
out by Lifting Gear
Engineering, of Erith.
Comments about this page
I wonder if you have any further information regarding the craftsmen who built the Clock Tower. Family rumour has it that either my great-great grandfather or my great grandfather, or both, who were both carpenters and joiners were involved. They were both called George Dodman. Would there be any records anywhere that I could consult?
The clock tower was presented to Brighton by my great great grandfather James Willing junior, not John Willing. Presumably there are some records of the presenting of the clock at the time which gave his correct name. He is buried at Hampstead Heath cemetery. Several of his great great grandchildren still survive.
When researching the clock tower, I discovered that you did not include what the tower was made of eg. granite. I feel that the material of the building should be included in your brief history.
My sister Linda and I are also great-great-grandchilden of James Willing. We have the original photograph and commemorative coin presented to James Willing on completion of the clock.
According to the Brighton and County Magazine (December 1891), the time-ball mechanism was designed by Magnus Volk and was controlled by a landline from the Greenwich Observatory, over 35 years before a similar arrangement was introduced to generate the BBC time signal.
Very pleased to see that someone has been researching the history of the Jubilee clock tower, which of course was designed by Magnus Volk, the celebrated inventor. I have researched Southampton’s time ball, which was located on top of South Castle in January 1888 then moved to South Western House in Canute Road in 1904 and removed in 1933. Both the Southampton and Brighton mechanisms used water to lift the ball, so I wondered if Magnus Volk or Blount Thomas in Southampton used the same design. There is a long article in the Brighton Gazette & Sussex Telegraph, Saturday, June 30, 1888, p5, describing the magnificent opening ceremony when James Willing and the Mayor had to fight through large crowds to reach the tower. The ball dropped at precisely 1 pm but Willing had to pull the drapery down by hand to reveal the tower as it got stuck.
If someone has Mr Hawkins’ photograph of the opening ceremony I would like to use this in my book.
Incidentally this is the only time ball opening ceremony I have found where there was a celebratory perfume “The Jubilee Clock Tower Bouquet”.
Well done Brighton!
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