THE hands of Barrow Town Hall clock sweeping towards midnight forms a traditional part of public celebrations for the start of a new year but a lot goes on behind the scenes to keep the mechanism in full working order.
The Mail, on Saturday, January 13, in 2001, described the daring challenge faced by engineer Terry Hill to give the Victorian clock a thorough facelift.
He had lowered himself from the tower to get a close look at the face ahead of a renovation scheme by specialists Potts, of Leeds.
Barrow council’s building control manager, Terry Ridal, said: “We want to see what state it is in.
“We have not had a proper look at it for a while.”
The clock was believed to be one of just three surviving of its type.
The article noted: “In 1998, the clock face suffered its last major damage when a large section of glass was shattered by gale force winds.”
The clock has four 12ft diameter faces and each one is set below a coat of arms.
The arms were of former mayors and founding fathers Sir James Ramsden, Josiah Smith, Henry Schneider and Edward Wadham.
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