Town hall bells to stand in for Big Ben
THE bells of Rochdale town hall will stand in for the bongs of Big Ben on Radio Four over Christmas, it has been confirmed.
Council bosses say they will be recorded on Wednesday night to be used before the evening news on Radio Four on Christmas Eve.
It comes as the famous Westminster bells are set to fall silent until 2021 for repair work.
The leader of the council Councillor Allen Brett was at the forefront of the campaign led by Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry to persuade broadcasters to use Rochdale’s town hall bells while Big Ben undergoes a major four-year repair programme.
Councillor Brett said the BBC’s original decision to use pre-recorded chimes of Big Ben on TV and radio news bulletins had sold licence payers short and was a Londoncentric snub to the alternative options available outside the capital.
After a public outcry and demands that the regions be heard, the BBC bowed to public pressure and Rochdale’s town hall gongs will now be heard throughout the land.
A council tweet said: “Let the bells ring out for Christmas.
“We are proud that Rochdale Town Hall’s famous gongs will be broadcast live to the nation on@BBCRadio4 over the festive period.”
In a statement BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall said the bells would be broadcast over this year’s festive period.
Councillor Brett said: after the announcement: “The BBC has really tuned into public opinion and given a ringing endorsement for Rochdale Town Hall’s renowned bells.
“This will really chime with people, not just across the borough but throughout the north and beyond. It’s a real boost for Rochdale and I am proud our town has been recognised in this way.
“The town hall is steeped in history, with an incredible backstory.”