Big Ben’s bells stop for four years!

London is silent!

Big Ben is a famous clock in London. It is more than 150 years old. Clock makers in London are fixing Big Ben, so on Monday the 21st of August, the Big Ben bell in the Palace of Westminster, will stop chiming† “bong” .. for four years!

Workmen are repairing the roof and the bell, and putting in a new lift. While people are working inside the clock tower, it is not safe and too loud for the bell to ring!

Experts say that we need to fix Big Ben, but not everyone is happy about the bells stopping for so long! British Prime Minister Theresa May says “it can’t be right!”

Londoners are meeting in Parliament Square on Monday to listen to the final “bongs” until 2021. Everyone will miss the sound of the bell, but the clock makers say they will still chime the bells on special occasions like New Year’s Eve.

  • to chime: The sound a clock’s bell makes to say the time

What other famous clocks do you know?
What is your country’s favourite landmark?
Do you want to visit Big Ben?

big ben main1.jpg

Paula French iStock

Itkia03

2 September 2017 at 13:21

I love London!

kia03's avatar

ItArcadia17

7 September 2017 at 19:00

It's a sad story for the UK's most famous clock. Fortunately it won't be forever. Anyway, I'm sorry. The Big Ben is one of many and main English icons. We all feel the lack, especially British people and the Londoners, who were used to the sound of the bells they felt going, maybe, at work or around, etc. I hope they can reduce the time the Big Ben will remain silent. My country's favourite and most famous landmark is the Colosseum, which is visited by lots of tourists every year. I'd like to visit the Big Ben, unfortunately I can't, but maybe one day I will be able to go to London!

Arcadia17's avatar

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