The residents of London might be forgiven for being late today (Monday 21st August) as the famous Big Ben clock tower will fall silent at midday. The famous chimes are are due to be quiet for the next four years. This is to enable repair and restoration work on the famous 96 metre-tall Elizabeth Tower which houses the the bell and the clock.
But some people, including MPs, are very unhappy about the lack of bongs as Catherine Drew reports from London.
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The sound is synonymous with the famous clock tower and Big Ben bell… ringing out across central London. However these chimes are falling silent from Monday afternoon local time… as millions of dollars of work to repair and restore both the bell, the clock and the tower and the surrounding parliament building gets underway. The bell must be silenced to protect the hearing of the workers. Chief architect of the project Adam Watrobski says the repair work cannot be avoided.
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In order to make future maintenance work easier, a lift and toilet are being installed in the tower, so workers can avoid the 334 steps up to it.
The last major work carried out on possibly the worlds most famous clock tower was in 1983 when the bells fell silent for two years.
But the rpsopect that they will be silent for the next four years has upset many MPs in the parliament. Even Prime Minister Theresa May has commented that it can't be right that the regular bongs won't be heard until 2021. Government Ministr david Davis was asked about the matter on London's LBC radio, and made clear he thought that timeframe was too long
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And it's not just MP's who say they'll miss the chimes… visitors and residence taking in the views at westminster are also concerned
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The Big Ben chimes will be reconnected and ring out for a few select occasions before repairs are completed and these include seeing in the new year, and the days when the victims of World war One and Two are commemorated. Until the repairs are completed, Londoners will have to make do without the famous bongs.
Catherine Drew, sign off, in London