2010 — Civic-time

Haymarket bus depot

December 22, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The Haymarket bus depot is situated close to the shopping area of Newcastle. It has recently, 2004, undergone a £400,000 refurbishment.

Haymarket bus depot clock

The Haymarket bus station was opened in 1997 and replaced the original bus station which had stood on the site since 1930.

Parts of the roof are set to be replaced in early 2011 in a project costing around £1m. This work follows problems with the roof following the earlier renovations.

The Haymarket clock is positioned above the main pedestrian through route, near to the entrance to the Marks and Spencer store.

Filed Under: Transport Clocks Tagged With: 1m, Bus Depot, Bus Station, Clock, Marks And Spencer, Marks And Spencer Store, Newcastle, Pedestrian, Refurbishment, Shopping Area

Northern Rock clock

Print This Post

December 22, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

This clock became an icon for the state of the banks in Britain during 2007.

During the crisis Northern Rock was at the heart of the first run on a UK bank for a century.

This one image has been seen many times since in magazine articles, newspapers and online as the banking crisis finally took grip in the UK.

Northern Rock clock - Newcastle

Situated above the Northern Rock branch in Northumberland Street, Newcastle this one clock summed up the clock ticking on the banking industry.

Northern Rock
Northern Rock Building Society was formed on 1 July 1965 as a result of the merger of Northern Counties Permanent Building Society (established in 1850) and Rock Building Society (established in 1865).

Northern Rock Building Society then merged with a number of small local building societies and, prior to its conversion to a public limited company in October 1997, was an amalgamation of 53 societies.

On 1 October 1997, Northern Rock converted from a building society to a public limited company, listed on the London Stock Exchange and authorised under the Banking Act 1987.

Northern Rock clock - Newcastle

Northern Rock entered Temporary Public Ownership (TPO) in February 2008.

The company’s priorities in 2008 included the repayment of the Government loan through an active mortgage redemption programme, and £18bn had been successfully repaid by 31 December 2008.

Northern Rock revised its business plan in early 2009 in close consultation with the Government as shareholder, and successfully applied for State Aid approval from the European Commission, which was granted on October 28th 2009 to restructure the business into two legal entities, both of which remain in TPO.

More information can be found on the Northern Rock website

Filed Under: Building clocks Tagged With: 1865, Amalgamation, Authorised, Banking Act, Banking Crisis, Banking Industry, Building Societies, Business Plan, Clock Icon, European Commission, Government Loan, Legal Entities, London Stock Exchange, Magazine Articles, Northern Counties, Northumberland Street, October 28th, Public Limited Company, Shareholder, Tpo

H Samuel – Newcastle

Print This Post

December 22, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The familiar square shaped clock outside the Newcastle branch of jewellers, H Samuel.

H Samuel - Newcastle

This branch is to be found at 53 Northumberland Street, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear.

Filed Under: Building clocks Tagged With: Caption, Clock, H Samuel, Jewellers, Newcastle Branch, Northumberland Street, Tyne And Wear

Northern Goldsmiths clock

Print This Post

December 22, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

This Northern Goldsmiths clock is one of a pair of clocks in Newcastle, England.

This one is on the corner of Blackett Street and Pilgrim Street. The other is on the junction of Clayton Street and Westgate Road.

Northern Goldsmiths clock - Newcastle

Chiming on the quarter this clock is a popular meeting place and local icon. It features the Rolex brand name on the white face.

Both clocks feature outside branches of Northern Goldsmiths.

The square clock topped with a female figure representing Venus, designed by Alfred Glover, was added to the building in 1935.

The red domed roof of the building houses a peal of bells which were once linked to the clock. The clock cost around £700 and operates on a synchronome electrical impulse system.

The carillion of bells was installed in 1935. The 7th bell is engraved with the names of the directors Crossley, Cooke and A.J. Pettinger.

There are three different chimes – Westminster, Whittington and Guildford, which were changed weekly. Guildford Cathedral has the same set of chimes

Northern Goldsmiths opened their first showroom in Newcastle during 1778. They have received three Royal Warrants.

The FA Cup and Rugby League Trophy were made by Northern Goldsmiths and they were the UK’s first appointed stockist of Rolex watches.

More details

Sitelines – Tyne and Wear’s Historic Environment Record

Filed Under: Building clocks Tagged With: Blackett, Building Houses, Carillion, Clayton Street, Domed Roof, Electrical Impulse, Fa Cup, Goldsmiths, Guildford Cathedral, Impulse System, League Trophy, Newcastle England, Peal Of Bells, Pettinger, Pilgrim Street, Rolex Watches, Royal Warrants, Rugby League, White Face, Whittington

Newcastle Keelman’s Sundial

Print This Post

December 22, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Built in 1701 on City road in Newcastle is this former hospital to the Keelmen of Newcastle. High above the main door is a clock said to have a dial and hands made from wood and a sundial. The clock is reportedly no longer working. A notice carved into white stone or plaster on the front of the building reads:

Keelmen Hospital - Newcastle

In the year 1786 the interest of £100 at 5% forever to be annually distributed on the 23rd day of December amongst the oldest Keelmen resident in this hospital was left by John Simpson Esq. of Bradley, Alderman of this town and forty years governor of the Hoastmens Company.

The grateful object of his remembrance have caused this stone to be erected so that posterity may know the donor’s worth and be stimulated to follow an example so benevolent.”

The Hoastmen is one of the Incorporated Companies of Newcastle Freemen.

The Company was granted a charter of Incorporation by Queen Elizabeth in 1600.

It was one of the most powerful mercantile corporations of the area. They were concerned with buying and selling coal through the port of Newcastle.

Keelmen Hospital - Newcastle

The Tyneside keelmen were employed by the Newcastle Hostmen and were often in dispute with their employers.

In 1699 the keelmen of Newcastle decided to build the Keelmen’s Hospital, a charitable foundation for sick and aged keelmen and their families.

The keelmen agreed to contribute one penny a tide from the wages of each keel’s crew and Newcastle Corporation made land available in Sandgate.

The hospital was completed in 1701 at a cost of £2,000. It consisted of fifty chambers giving onto a cloister enclosing a grass court.

Filed Under: Non mechanical clocks Tagged With: Alderman, Chambers, Charitable Foundation, Cloister, Coal, Corporations, Forty Years, Freemen, Grass Court, Incorporation, John Simpson, Keel, Plaster, Port Of Newcastle, Posterity, Queen Elizabeth, Remembrance, S Hospital, Tide, Wages, Wood Clock

Workington ‘Camera Obscura’

Print This Post

November 13, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

A most unusual timepiece is to be found in the West Cumbrian town of Workington.

The clock was designed by Andy Plant with sound recordings by Matt Wand. It is called ‘Lookout’.

Based on a ‘camera obscura’ it tells the time with a rotating minute hand. The minutes are shown marked in the pavement beneath.

Workington ' Camera Obscura' Clock

On the hour the clocks telescopic minute hand rises into the air to give a 360 degree view of the surroundings using a camera mounted in the arm.

Viewing windows are available in the main ball part of the clock to see the images from the camera.

Curved seating surrounding the clock incorporates speakers that emit locally produced sounds every half hour.

The recordings use voices from interviews with local people set to music specially performed by Matt himself, Stainburn Steel Band and Dearham Brass Band.

The installation was funded by the Northwest Development Agency, S. Harrison Developments Ltd and Allerdale Borough Council.

The clock was officially switched on by the Mayor of Allerdale on Saturday 1 July 2006.

Filed Under: Building clocks, Unusual clocks Tagged With: 360 Degree View, Allerdale Borough Council, Brass Band, Camera Obscura, Camera Oscura, Clock, Clocks, Half Hour, Images, Lookout, Matt Wand, Music, Northwest, Pavement, Sound Recordings, Speakers, Steel Band, Surroundings, Timepiece, Voices

Haymarket bus depot

Northern Rock clock

H Samuel – Newcastle

Northern Goldsmiths clock

Newcastle Keelman’s Sundial

Workington ‘Camera Obscura’

Wigton Medical Centre – clock

Lowther Castle clock restoration

Blackburn Cathedral clock