Big Ben rang for the last time before restoration
LONDON, 21 Aug — RIA Novosti, Tatiana Firsova. The famous big Ben, the 13-ton bell in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, on Monday at 12.00 (14.00 GMT) strikes for the last time before restoration.
Then the bell and hammer dismantle — at least until the new year. The restoration will be completed in 2021, it is agreed that during the repair of the bell will beat just on special occasions.
This is an important announcement by the Parliament of great Britain did at the beginning of last week, inviting tourists and Londoners together to “do” bell, clock and tower on a forced “vacation”. “We invite the public to celebrate this important moment, gathered in Parliament square to hear the final battle big Ben prior to his return,” said the Keeper of the hours Steve Jaggs.
Big Ben along with the very Palace where Parliament sits, is one of the main symbols of great Britain, his curly images and pictures all filled the capital’s souvenir shops. Guests of London will definitely miss the chiming of the clock and the tower, as big Ben is now dressed in scaffolding. Now, many tourists do not know that the bells be silent for 3 years. While you can hear them every hour on the bell of big Ben strikes the hammer, the extra bells strike with a 15 minute interval. “What a pity, — told RIA Novosti the head of the government of Moscow, presented by Tatiana. — Well, we have time”.
It was particularly unfortunate repair will be for children from other cities and countries that know the tower of textbooks of English language and often want to see first. The chief architect of the British Parliament Vetrovsky Adam (Adam Watrobski), which oversees the restoration, in conversation with the correspondent of RIA Novosti said that this is not surprising — he himself had four grown-up children, but each summer their foreign guests wanted to see and hear what famous watch.
“But we have no choice — we have to do our job,” he said. Vetrovsky promises that after the repair the tower and clock will not require the intervention of the hands of the specialists at least 60 years.
In any case, to visit the tower still could only British citizens and immigrants with resident status, and the tour is booked through a representative Parliament in place of residence. It is unknown whether the change order after the restoration.