Full Breakdown
Big Ben’s Annual Time Change: Cumbria Clock Company Prepares for BST-to-GMT Switch
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – Setting and Servicing Big Ben
Each year the United Kingdom moves clocks back one hour as British Summer Time ends and Greenwich Mean Time begins. In the early hours of Sunday, the Cumbria Clock Company travels to London to carry out the change on the clock housed in the Queen Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben. The team begins work at 18:00 BST, when the tower lights are switched off and the hands are moved to the 12 o’clock position. While the mechanism is stationary, technicians service components that cannot be accessed during normal operation. The clock is re-illuminated and resumes striking at 01:00 GMT.
Background & Context – Tradition and Timing Pressure
This year’s change is occurring close to Remembrance Day on 11 November, adding extra pressure to ensure accuracy.
Official Statements & Responses – Mark Crangle’s Remarks
Mark Crangle, a representative of the Cumbria Clock Company, said he always feels nervous about setting the time because of the clock’s national significance. He noted that when the lights, hour strike and quarter chimes are switched back on in the dead of night, a “big cheer” can be heard from the nearby bridge, which he finds “quite funny.” Crangle recounted a past mistake in Seaham, County Durham, where he accidentally set a clock forward instead of back, emphasizing that such errors are rare. He described the weekend as “big” and “good fun” for the team, who will later move on to service other city clocks, including the one at Westminster Abbey.
Verbatim Quotes
- “You only make that mistake once,” — Mark Crangle