Posts In: Uncategorized

Dial Restoration at the Hull Guildhall

August 2, 2022 Uncategorized

June 2022 Clockmakers Tony, son Ryan and Jason were recently on sight at the Guildhall in Hull to install the four freshly restored Dials, Hands and Dialworks. This dial restoration formed part of our wider work on the Guildhall, including the detailed design, build and install of the famous Hull Time Ball with its Magnetic Drive.  Here, the clockmakers give an overview of the project as they refit the dials before the hands go on:  

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Borrowfield Lodge, Spondon, Derby

June 22, 2022 Uncategorized

Borrowfield Lodge, in Spondon, Derby, formally known as ‘Clock Farm’, has a wealth of history, having been built back in 1840 and listed on the Spondon Historical Society website.  The current owners, Nigel and Dawn Langley, purchased Borrowfield Lodge back on the 15th of December 2017 from a family who had lived there for over 60 years. When Borrowfield was purchased by the Simms family in 1915, the clock was located on one of the barns to the east of the property. Here it remained until the 1980s, when the mews were built and the clock was removed and stored in the…

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National Apprenticeship Week 2022- Opportunity

February 10, 2022 Uncategorized

The opportunities at Smith of Derby span many disciplines, including clockmaking, technical sales, planning and fabrication, to mention just a few. One of our technical sales engineers, Jack Biggin, started as a clockmaking apprentice. Jack says, “I started my Smith of Derby journey in May of 2019, having left school I had tried various jobs but never found my niche. Talking to my grandfather he suggested I found a job that could lead to a long term career.”  Jack went on to say, “I used the National Apprenticeship website and local training provider Learning Unlimited to help me in my…

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National Apprenticeship Week.  7th – 11th February 2022

February 7, 2022 Uncategorized

National Apprenticeship Week.  7th – 11th February 2022 Apprenticeships – Build the Future… National Apprenticeship Week is an opportunity to celebrate the many benefits that apprenticeships bring to employers, individuals, and the wider economy. This year’s theme “Build the Future” is very appropriate in these current times and a reminder of the importance of training and the retention of skills through the generations of our company. Training and apprenticeships are firmly rooted in our family-owned business, whose founder, John Smith 1st, was himself an apprentice to John Whitehurst III – part of the Whitehurst dynasty of clockmakers. Our award-winning apprenticeship programme…

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Safety First… the importance of industry accreditation

January 20, 2022 Uncategorized

As a company we comply with three industry health and safety accreditations, CHAS, Construction Line (Silver) and Safe Contractor SSIP.  This compliance allows peace of mind for our customers showing our commitment to safety across different areas of risk management. Working with an accredited contractors also saves time for those planning and arranging projects, as they will know immediately that health and safety requirements are met.  Ash Buckler, our dedicated Health & Safety Manager (NEBOSH) is also on hand to guide and advise our customers on health & safety legislation and requirements. Planning a clock project and have a health…

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The Coronation Clock Tower, Sheerness, Kent

November 2, 2021 News, Uncategorized

Earlier this month our team began restoration of the Coronation Clock Tower in Sheerness to its former glory. The Grade II listed clock tower was dismantled in sections over three days by engineers Kevin Allen, Martin Butchers, Richard Cox, Dave Longdon and apprentice clockmaker Ethan Burnett. The essential repairs and careful restoration will be completed by our team at our dedicated workshops in Derby. Now the clock is safely in Derby it will undergo repairs to the dial, hands, and clock mechanism. New iron sections will be cast to replace the damaged areas, and the existing paintwork will be removed…

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International Youth Day

August 12, 2021 Uncategorized

International Youth Day is held each year on the 12th of August and is an initiative that celebrates the qualities of young people and recognises the challenges that today’s youth can face. International Youth Day began in 2000 and was organised by the United Nations to celebrate the contribution that young people make in education, employment, conflict resolution and social justice to name a few. This year, to celebrate International Youth Day 2021, at Smith of Derby we are recognising the importance and contribution from our young team members and apprentices. Maintaining our traditional skills and handing on knowledge through…

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Restoring the Chamberlain Clock

June 10, 2021 Uncategorized

The re-installation of the Chamberlain Clock which took place from 20th-21st March 2021   We recently had the privilege of completing an extensive restoration and reinstallation of the historic Chamberlain Clock in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. The clock was built in 1903 in honour of Joseph Chamberlain, MP for the area in the late 1900s and one of its most respected figures. Made by Birmingham company W.F. Evans & Sons of Handsworth, it is an iconic local landmark. The restoration of the Chamberlain Clock has been led by the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust. It was able to take place through funding…

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A Passion for Time – The Role of a CAD Design Engineer

May 6, 2021 Uncategorized

As we continue our ‘A Passion for Time’ series, which looks into the different roles our talented team play here at Smith of Derby, we caught up with Oliver Beetlestone, our Senior CAD Design Engineer. Oliver graduated from the University of Derby in 2019 with a First-Class BA (Hons) in Product Design and during the last year he has enhanced his knowledge by completing 2 levels of SolidWorks Certification – Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) and Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP). SolidWorks is computer-aided design (CAD) and engineering solid modelling software which enables the user to draw in 2D or 3D. A…

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The role of an IRATA specialist clockmaker

March 17, 2021 Uncategorized

An unusual passion..  The start of British Summer Time (clock change) signals warmer days, lighter evenings, and spring blooms. For Smith of Derby, this brings with it the start of dial restoration season, meaning that our skilled engineers and clockmakers are busy in the workshop and out and about the country helping to restore and maintain public time. Supporting this work is our seven strong team of IRATA trained rope access specialist clockmakers. The expertise they bring to the business, coupled with our rigorous bi-annual safety checks and safety critical medicals, demonstrates our commitment to health and safety along with…

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