Bells may ring once a month

THE chimes of Big Ben could still ring out once a month and on state occasions during repair work under plans to be considered by MPs.

The famous bell could also be sounded manually to avoid it falling silent for four years while the clock is being renovated, it has emerged.

Lib-Dem MP Tom Brake, spokesman for the House of Commons Commission, which approved the restoration plan, said a number of options will be considered when Parliament reconvenes next month. He said: ‘We’re going to look at whether there’s scope for starting to ring the bells sooner, if there’s scope for being able to ring them more frequently on an ad-hoc basis. Maybe there could be other ad-hoc occasions in which the bell could ring, such as state occasions. The Commission has got to balance the demand for hearing the bells sooner and more frequently with the demand that we want to keep the costs down.’

Plans to silence Big Ben for four years were met with anger last week. But there will be a review of the length of the works by the commission, chaired by Speaker John Bercow, in the autumn. If it is silenced for four years, it will be the longest period Big Ben has remained quiet after more than 150 years of almost unbroken service.

SO after more than 150 years of chiming out the hours through war and peace, Big Ben has been silenced in the name of health and safety. Between now and 2021 the Great Bell will ring out only on Remembrance Sunday and New Year’s Eve, to protect the delicate ears of workmen carrying out a restoration programme.

In a last ditch bid to prevent this affront to national pride, the Commons authorities have been persuaded to review the plan in search of a compromise – possibly allowing the bell to be struck by hand every week or even just once a month.

This would still be a sad loss but anything is better than mothballing this most loved symbol of Britishness altogether.