Chimes of Big Ben to be quieter, slightly out of time when coming back

Scaffolders work on the Big Ben clock tower which is undergoing maintenance in Westminster, London, Britain, Oct 11, 2017.[Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - The famous chimes of Big Ben, regarded as one of the most trusted timepieces in Britain, will gong at the wrong times next month, managers at the Houses of Parliament have admitted.

The team who look after the clock in the Elizabeth Tower, currently undergoing renovation, plan to reconnect the peel of bells so they can ring out to mark the Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday events on Nov 11 and Nov 12 respectively.

Big Ben and the quarter bells will be reconnected at 9 am local time on Nov 9 and adjusted throughout the day to ensure the correct time. The bells will also ring out quieter than usual to protect the workteam carrying out the renovation work.

A spokesman for the Houses of Parliament said there are likely to be slight inaccuracies at first during the reconnection phase to make sure they are accurate on the days when the traditional tributes to the military victims of the two world wars are marked.

With work on the tower suspended for the forthcoming Christmas and New Year holiday, the chimes of Big Ben will resume from Dec 23 and will chime until 1 pm on Jan 1, 2018 when they will again fall silent when the workers are back after their holiday.