Big Ben taking some time out.

The chimes of Big Ben will rarely be heard during the next four years.

It is not for the first time the iconic landmark has required maintenance. In 1958 Big Ben has been silent for four months while glass was prepared for each of the clock’s four new faces.

Weather has also proven problematic for the ticking of the great clock. Sometimes when it snows heavily the snow collects around the bottom of the face. And this could prevent the minute hand from going around. But nowadays they’ve got electric fires that switch themselves on when it gets cold to melt the snow. But before the electric fires were installed they had to sweep the snow off by brush and to do that they had to take out the little window.

Elizabeth Tower is vulnerable to wildlife as well as weather… Pigeons, unfortunately, are flying along minding their own business really and fly straight into the glass. It’s translucent.

It’s neither short-sighted pigeons nor snow that to blame this time. The big clock will be silenced to protect restoration workers’ ears.

Not to worry. Soon things will be running like clockwork once again.