Posts In: News

World Health and Safety Day

April 25, 2019 News

Every year world Health and Safety day is celebrated on the 28th of April. Whilst the day falls on a Sunday this year it does not take away from the importance of the day and Health and Safety in general. Here at Smith of Derby we pride ourselves on our high standards of Health and Safety, developed through investment and training for everyone at the company. This year the day has been inspired by Inspired by the ILO centenary and discussions on the future of work. the day this year attempts to take stock of a 100 years of work in improving…

Continue Reading

Emmanual Church Restoration Project

April 16, 2019 Church, News

The three 1.2m dials which adorn the clock tower at Emmanual Church, Shelley, were recently restored after first been installed over eighty years ago. The work, which was part of a large project at the Church, was a great success and the dials are now looking ‘as good as new’. The clock at Shelley Church was originally donated by Mr. and Mrs. E Auckland to celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary in 1935. The clock and dials were fabricated and installed by local company William Potts of Leeds, who are now part of the Smith of Derby Group. In late 2018 Smith…

Continue Reading

Kinburn Museum Dial Restoration

April 8, 2019 News

The coastal town of St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland, is famous for a number of things and has a museum dedicated to the town’s history. Located in the beautiful Kinburn House, within the grounds of Kinburn Park, the museum is also home to two eye catching clock dials which have recently been restored by Smith of Derby Group member, James Ritchie Clockmakers. Originally built in the Victorian era, Kinburn House has two rombus clock dials adorning one of the towers to be seen by all visiting the museum or park and those staying in the guesthouse. Unfortunately, the dials had…

Continue Reading

Clocks Go Forward

April 1, 2019 News

Sunday was the official start of British summer time (BST), as the clocks went forward one hour at 1am, meaning we all got one hour less in bed but the evenings will be much lighter! The clocks changing means a busy period for our team, both planning the time change visits and our clockmakers visiting various sites across the UK to complete the changes. Our clockmakers follow a similar schedule each time the clocks changes, including when they go back in the Autumn, so they know their route and clocks well. However, as the number of locations with our PAR-100…

Continue Reading

NewsTime

March 26, 2019 News

NewsTime Once again its been a busy few weeks both in our Derby works and across our various sites in the UK. Here’s just a few things we have been doing. Health and Safety A big part of this company is our continual and insistent approach to our team wellbeing and safety. We have developed a new approach to the safe access to specific pillar clocks for example, revising our method to secure ladders and our working at height approach. We have also developed a simple system to communicate changes to Health & Safety practices, or changes to product or…

Continue Reading

IRATA Training

March 18, 2019 News

IRATA training is essential for our clockmakers, it allows the team to work safely at height whilst continuing to ensure a high standard of work when completing projects in situ. To be able to use the rope access equipment, the team must attend an annual IRATA training course. Clockmaker Mike Tomlinson recently completed this course with a specialist Yorkshire company. Mike attended the week-long course at a specialist facility in Sheffield, operated by Access Techniques, to renew his level one certificate. The dedicated facility has a 14m high ceiling to ensure those completing the course face realistic situations which will…

Continue Reading

Apprentice Clockmakers work with the Museum of Making

March 13, 2019 News

Apprentices at Smith of Derby have been busy restoring Derby’s historic Harrison clock for installation in the new Museum of Making when it re-opens to the public in 2020. First installed at Derby Guildhall in 1842, the Harrison turret clock dates back to the same period. Its movement was designed by clockmaker, James Harrison of Hull (1792-1875), the great-grandnephew of John (Longitude) Harrison (1693-1776) who famously invented the marine chronometer to calculate longitude at sea. Derby’s Harrison clock was retired from the Guildhall in 1976 and moved to the former Industrial Museum as a non-working exhibit where it later went into…

Continue Reading

National Apprentice Week

March 3, 2019 News

March 4th-8th is National Apprentice Week – celebrating all those involved within apprenticeships across England. Here at Smith of Derby we are extremely proud of all of our apprentices and are delighted to celebrate the success of the program which is run in partnership with Learning Unlimited. The annual celebration, which is now in its twelfth year, brings the whole apprenticeship community together to promote and explore the positive impact of apprenticeships on individuals, employers and the economy across the UK. Over the last four years we have employed six apprentices in both clock making and administration roles. Our latest…

Continue Reading

Woodfield Pavilion Clock and Wind Vane

February 25, 2019 News

The ‘Woodfield Project’ in Tooting, London is focused on re developing an existing recreation ground back to former glory. Part of the project is a small turret, which now features both a clock and wind vane made by Smith of Derby. The pavilion and recreation ground, originally opened in 1933, were created to offer a sports ground and changing facilities for young people in the area.  After many years of use it was taken over by a local school to meet their need for a sporting facility, however in recent years the school have moved on and the Tooting site…

Continue Reading

NewsTime

February 19, 2019 News

It’s been a busy start to the year here at Smith of Derby. The team have been working hard both in our works and out on the road to keep Britain’s clocks ticking, along with some huge international work which we hope to share with you very soon. In the meantime, please read further about our recent activities. We are delighted that in this edition of NewsTIME we can report that we have received feedback from our training partner, Learning Unlimited, that Joe Mines has achieved a ‘distinction’ in a recent examination on engineering health & safety, attaining 85%. Staying…

Continue Reading