Posts In: Personnel

Apprentice Training Continues

March 8, 2023 Personnel

“If you’ve got a problem with a clock one of the best things you can do is take a moment to sit and listen to it, to pay attention and listen closely to its tick. This way you can tell if it is out of beat.” – This Paul tells our Apprentice Clockmakers over coffee.⁠ ⁠ Paul Kilburn came up from Dorset, and the region of clocks he looks after in the South, last week to offer hands on tuition and impart his knowledge to our team of apprentices. Drawing on his extensive experience, Paul has been guiding them through…

Continue Reading

National Apprenticeship Week 2023 #skillsforlife

February 7, 2023 News, Personnel

With National Apprenticeship Week kicking off, we asked Ryan, one of our recent apprentices to reflect on the programme: “One thing that’s surprised me about the job I am doing is how much freedom you get. In the sense that you get services to do and you get to travel around the country to do them. I knew about the travelling because of my father working for the company but it is amazing the amount of places you get to visit, you get to go to places you’ve never heard of before.” ⁠ “I now have the confidence to perform…

Continue Reading

Clocks provide school exam inspiration!

November 14, 2018 Creative, News, Personnel, Public

Earlier in the year Bruntcliffe Academy, Leeds, approached Potts of Leeds, part of the Smith of Derby group, to provide clock parts for students to use in their upcoming exam. Leeds based clockmaker Mike Tomlinson was delighted to help the school, supplying various parts for students to use in the exams. Following this we had a very kind letter from Richard Hall, the photography teacher at the school: “Each year, just after Christmas, the exam board publishes the final project theme for Britain’s GCSE Art, Design and Photography students. 16-year-old students the length and breadth of the country wait with…

Continue Reading

Conserving Public Time: stories behind the faces

May 30, 2018 Church, Heritage, News, Personnel, Public, Time, Traditional

There’s more behind a clock dial than meets the eye. All have subtle differences, more so in the mechanisms. And much like their buildings, when getting old clocks need more looking after. Since 1856, Smith of Derby has come to know thousands of public clocks quite intimately, whilst their new generation of clockmaking apprentices hone the skills essential to keep them ticking. Behind Smith’s name is a history of partnerships. William Potts of Leeds dates from 1833; James Ritchies clocks have graced Scotland’s landmarks since 1809, and J B Joyce began in Shropshire in 1690. Putting their years of experience…

Continue Reading

Mitchell Eaton is proud of his achievements

May 4, 2018 Heritage, News, Personnel, Traditional

With good reason: Mitch holds the certificate that marks a key stage in his training at Smith of Derby. He has achieved Advanced Level Apprenticeship in Engineering Manufacture (Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering) along with City and Guilds Level 3 diploma and BTEC level 3 subsidiary diploma in the same subjects. His training will continue with coaching from our experienced team of clockmakers and hands-on experience. Mitch is passionate about the practical hands-on work that he does. And he is reliable, trustworthy and confident to work on his own – very important on service calls to clock towers near and far. He…

Continue Reading