Ian turns dial to put clocks back in time
THERE’S no excuse to be late in Macclesfield anymore as the town’s most visible clocks are now telling the right time.
The four dials at Christ Church, on Bridge Street, can be seen from large parts of Macclesfield and are one its most prominent landmarks.
But problems with them mean that, while still running, they have been displaying the wrong time for around 18 months to two years.
Now the clocks are back on the mark thanks to Ian Richardson, 73, an expert in timepieces who has fixed the problem.
He said: “It is the most prominent clock in Macclesfield, the church has a big tall spire and is in the town centre.
“It was a relatively simple job but they are now running sweet as a nut and it is important for them to work.”
The building currently no longer functions as a church but is still used by bell ringers and for the occasional event.
Bell ringer Kevin Rogers, 67, volunteers with Ian’s wife at the Silk Museum and a conversation between them led to the clocks getting fixed.
Kevin let Ian into the church and things have now been running like clockwork since Thursday, November 7.
“The clocks were still running but way out, it is always good to have them working,” Kevin said.
“But all I did was open the door and watch him, it was really interesting.”
Ian has been repairing and restoring clocks for many years.
He was responsible for installing the clock dials from the old Macclesfield Infirmary at the current hospital and at the Silk Museum.
His work on the Christ Church clock was part of his ongoing interest in keeping public clocks running when they are no longer cared for by their original owners.