Posts In: Heritage

Clocks All Change This Weekend

March 22, 2018 Heritage, News, Public, Time, Traditional

With summer time changeover fast approaching, we are being kept very busy. This year we will be putting the time forward an hour on 155 tower clocks. That’s a small number compared to the 4,000 or so we look after altogether. Some of our clients do the clock altering themselves, and many of the modern electrically driven clocks have automatic changeover. On average it takes half an hour to change the time on each clock. The gears have to be released and moved to put the clock forward one hour in the spring. It takes a bit longer for the…

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Cathedral of St. Jude, Lagos

March 21, 2018 Church, Heritage, Public, Time, Traditional

Located in Ebutu Metta, Lagos, the Cathedral of St. Jude had become derelict following the construction of a new building. When Bishop Akinpelu Johnson was appointed, his aim was to redevelop the old cathedral and make it a focal point of the community once again. He believed that a new clock would be key to the refurbishment. After several years of fund raising and acquiring a local sponsor, the Bishop chose Smith of Derby to design, manufacture and install three new dials and a bell sound system. Our team built three 2.5m clock faces: opal acrylic dials with raised metal…

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Case Study: Kings Cross Platform 8

March 7, 2018 Heritage, Public, Traditional

Client: Network Rail Location: Kings Cross Station, London Size: 2m diameter Materials: Gold leaf, acrylic paint, brass, illumination Date: 2012 Project code: 28069 Known fondly as the Harry Potter clock by fans who visit Kings Cross Station. Restored in 2012, it was originally two separate dials, separated by steel rods and located astride a footbridge. Taking its cue from the elusive platform 9 3/4, the footbridge disappeared. The clock, however, winged its way to our workshops, where within earshot of trains on the adjacent main railway line it would feel quite at home. We then worked our own magic, designing and…

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Training for all our clockmakers

February 28, 2018 Heritage, Public, Time, Traditional

Whether new to clockmaking or having years of experience, all our clockmakers have a wealth of knowledge. Our training programme is designed to share the strengths of each member of the team, which builds close working relationships as well as just learning about clocks. Aaran is new to the world of clockmaking but it was no surprise that his engineering expertise enabled him to have one of our showpiece clock movements dismantled then up and running again in what seemed like no time at all, and he even found handling the delicate gold leaf a breeze. Meanwhile Steve and Gavin…

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Automatic winding and timekeeping

February 27, 2018 Heritage, Public, Time, Traditional

A spiral staircase which will be climbed a little less from now on. Smith of Derby automatic winding and time regulation comes with an unseen but vitally important feature as standard – the facility to remove the new equipment without a trace should the clock ever be required in its former historical state. So at All Hallows Church in Walkington, East Yorkshire, the original winding handle is being carefully saved – just in case. In the meantime the long serving team of clock winders will be able to enjoy a well earned retirement. Keeping a clock wound up is hard…

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Announcement to friends of Smith of Derby Limited

February 13, 2018 Heritage, News, Public, Traditional

Dear friends of Smith of Derby Limited We are writing to you today to share the sad news that John Nicholas Wilkins Smith, our President and active Archivist passed away late yesterday afternoon. Mr Nick, as he was affectionately known by all of us here at Smith of Derby, died peacefully following a short illness and a heart operation. His family was with him. There will be more to say and share with all our friends in due course, but it is enough for now to let you know that after his family, his (literally!) lifelong association with the Smith…

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Case Study: St Paul’s Cathedral

February 8, 2018 Heritage, Public, Time, Traditional, Uncategorized

Client: Whites of Appleton Location: London, UK Size: 3 X 17ft 6″ stone skeleton dial Date: Ongoing since 1893 Project code: 4005 An iconic landmark that is known around the world, St Paul’s Cathedral in London is an instantly recognizable symbol of the London skyline. Smith of Derby are proud to have built and installed St Paul’s Cathedral current clock in 1893. We have taken care of this clock ever since, ensuring that it withstands the test of time. St Paul’s Cathedral receives approximately 1,500,000 visitors every year, which puts a high responsibility on us to keep it working and…

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Training key priority for Smith of Derby Clockmakers

January 16, 2018 Heritage, News, Public, Time, Traditional

Our clockmakers were taken off the road last week for training at our Derby workshop. This included working with external specialists as well as experts from within the team on aspects of traditional turret clock history and care; health and safety; customer relations and electronics. They were also introduced to new products and some projects in development. Safety is a main priority for our company with our specialists receiving training and maintenance checks on their equipment and company vehicles ensuring we are a safe pair of hands. It is part of our ongoing commitment to enhance the knowledge and skills…

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Historic clock paves the way for future expertise

January 5, 2018 Heritage, News, Time, Traditional

Turret clock and Harrison specialist, Chris McKay, is today working alongside our apprentices to restore the James Harrison of Hulls clock which arrived at our Derby workshop on 22nd December. The preliminary analysis of the clock marks the first step towards a restoration which will see the piece reinstalled at the Derby Silk Mill as part of their renovation to become the Museum of Making 2020. Smith of Derby apprentice, Mitch, is excited to work on the restoration. He says, “This clock has not worked for a while and I look forward to being part of the process to see…

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See our apprentices dismantling the James Harrison of Hull’s clock @derbysilkmill

December 22, 2017 Heritage, News, Public, Time, Traditional

Check out our apprentice clockmakers Sam, Mitch and Tom dismantling the James Harrison of Hull’s Clock @derbysilkmill on Monday 18th December. James Harrison of Hull’s clock is now @smithofderby workshop waiting to be carefully restored under the guidance of turret clock and particularly Harrison specialist Chris McKay. For the latest updates please visit twitter pages @derbymuseums @smithofderby.

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