Bell mystery (NVR)
Posted by yabbitgirl on Jun 15, 2006 · Member since Apr 2006 · 14266 posts
Ok, I am going nuts here and I need any British readers who are out there to help. Wouldn't you know, I got to the BBC News programme (Radio 4) late yesterday. When they sign off the World Today programme at 6 PM British time (7 PM here), you hear Big Ben strike the hour. Well yesterday the newsreader said, "And of course Big Ben won't be striking today, so here's a wren" and they played a snatch of birdsong.
Does ANYbody out there know why "of course" Big Ben didn't strike yesterday? I trawled Yahoo news and even went to the BBC News website, and Googled Big Ben, but no explanation. Was it broken, or on strike, or something?? ??? I'm going nuts here...short trip, I grant you... ;D
wikipedia says something about it being repaired.
although it should ring on the hour, it wont sound the quarters for a few weeks, i'm thinking perhaps there were some workmen up in the tower at the time, or that they were moving some stuff around in the area, so maybe didnt strike the hour then either to avoid deafening someone, or causing vibrations. maybe that accounts for it?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/5037364.stm
why don't you email bbc radio 4 about it... i'm sure they won't mind letting you know for sure, if it's driving you crazy not knowing, lol!
if you have speakers, you could also try using their 'listen again' feature to listen to the show again online, and see if they explained what happened to the bell to mean it didnt ring, in a bit of the show you missed?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/progs/listenagain.shtml
Ohhhh duuuuuh, I had forgotten the Listen Again feature! ::) Thanks HCJ, you're right and I did and it is. Temporarily out of commision, I mean.
I have to say the wren made a nice change. As I suffer from a stress-related disorder I have bookmarked several birdsong sites on the Web and surf in when things get a little too stressful in my urban environment...a few moments of birdsong is a great relaxant.