Posts In: public clocks

November News at Smith of Derby

November 29, 2018 News

As the nights draw in and the run up to Christmas gets into full swing, the team have been working hard on various things here at Smith of Derby to ensure everything is ready for a successful 2019! The start of November was a particularly busy period as the team worked on many projects across the UK ahead of remembrance Sunday services. Of course this year was a special year as it was the 100th anniversary of World War One, meaning there was even more projects than normal taking place. Several of the team attended the annual Celestial Ball which…

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Craiginches Community Garden Clock

November 9, 2018 News, Public

HM Prison, Craiginches, Aberdeen is a historic site for a number of reasons and that history has not been forgotten in its recent development. As part of the development, James Ritchie & Son clockmakers were approached to prepare the original prison clock dial, so it could be apart of the community garden at the Scottish site. The former prison was the place where Henry John Burnett was hung in 1963, which happened to be the last hanging in Scotland. Following this, the prison faced many problems including over crowding and was closed for good in 2014 as the new HM…

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Clock Changing at Smith of Derby

October 31, 2018 Church, News, Public

As the majority of the nation enjoyed an extra hour in bed, there was no rest for our clockmakers as they began the monumental task of altering public clocks across the UK. Of course, it’s not all public clocks which have to be changed manually, there are more pendulum regulators being used thus meaning less work for our clockmakers when it comes to this time of year. However, it is still a major operation which involves accurate planning and a dedicated team of clockmakers. “The planning for this operation starts in the height of summer as routes are planned and…

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