Clocks — Civic-time

Preston bus station clocks

March 12, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The bus station in Preston, Lancashire was built in the late 1960′s. The designer was Keith Ingham.

IMG 0022 203x152 Preston bus station clocks

Preston bus station- Guild Hall exit

Local residents are currently discussing how to protect the building following a number of requests over recent years to develop the site.

A website has also been launched dedicated to the preservation of bus station memories and to act as a focal point for the campaign to save Preston’s bus station from demolition.

The clocks appear to have a Swiss style and unusually have an analogue face above a digital clock.

The story, if this is to be believed, is that this was to accommodate the recently introduced decimal 24 hr time system whilst also providing the familiar analogue clock.

IMG 0026 1 203x152 Preston bus station clocks

Preston Bus Station clock at the town centre exit

The simple black on white analogue clocks also allowed them to be read from some distance, ideal for a busy waiting area.

Reports suggest that when the structure was built it was the largest of it’s kind in the world.

More information

‘A baroque cathedral for buses’ – The Guardian

Filed Under: Transport Clocks Tagged With: Analogue Clock, Bus Station, Buses, Caption, Clocks, Demolition, Digital Clock, Exit, Focal Point, Guardian, Hr Time, Keith Ingham, Memories, Preston Lancashire, Station Clock, Swiss Style, Time System, Waiting Area

Newcastle railway station clock

Print This Post

January 26, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Viewed by many thousands of people every day the clocks of the main railway station in Newcastle are simple but informative.

newcastle station clock1 203x152 Newcastle railway station clock

Newcastle railway station - platform 10

Black hands and numerals are mounted onto a white face allowing for maximum contrast.

This clock is positioned at the terminus above platform 10, to the right of the main station entrance.

A number of similar clocks are scattered throughout the platform complex.

It opened in 1850 and is a Grade I listed building.

The railway station is connected to the adjacent underground Central Station Metro station on the Tyne and Wear Metro.

Newcastle station is served by:

CrossCountry
First Scotrail
Northern Rail
National Express East Coast
TransPennine Express

Filed Under: Transport Clocks Tagged With: Black Hands, Clocks, East Coast, Main Railway Station, Maximum Contrast, Metro Station, National Express, Newcastle, Station Clock, Station Entrance, Station Metro, Station Platform, Terminus, Transpennine Express, Tyne And Wear Metro, Underground Station, White Face

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 clock 203x152 Workington Camera Obscura

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

Carnforth Railway Station Clock

Print This Post

June 13, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Possibly one of the most famous clocks in the UK apart of the clock on the Houses of Parliament is this clock at Carnforth Railway Station.

Carnforth Railway Station clock

The clock is marked “Joyce Whitchurch”, who were probably the suppliers of the clock.

Filming for the film ‘ Brief Encounter’ took place during February 1945. It was directed by David Lean and starred Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson.

The film which was based on a half-hour stage play written by Noel Coward called ‘Still Life’.

Although on the West Coast Main Line Inter-city trains do not stop here.

The Carnforth Station and Railway Trust Company Ltd is a registered charity and was created by a group of local people to save and renovate the historically interesting buildings at Carnforth station. it was formed in 1996.

The clock is hand wound every week

Further information

Clocks at Carnforth Railway Station

New life for ‘Brief Encounter’ station – BBC

Filed Under: Transport Clocks Tagged With: Bbc, Brief Encounter, Buildings, Carnforth Station, Celia Johnson, Clocks, Company Ltd, Half Hour, Houses Of Parliament, Inter City Trains, Noel Coward, Parliament, Railway Station, Registered Charity, Stage Play, Station Clock, Trevor Howard, Trust Company, West Coast Main Line, Whitchurch

The Mall clock, Blackburn

Print This Post

April 8, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Situated behind a glass and steel frontage this clock is part of a £66m development called The Mall in Blackburn.

IMG 0196 203x152 The Mall clock, Blackburn

Blackburn Car Park clock

The tower provides acess to the car parks of The Mall shopping centre.

Positioned on King William Street the clock is hoped to be a focal point for the rebuilding of confidence in the local economy.

The clock has three faces electronically locked so they always tell the correct time.

A number of clocks have been on this site over the years. Built in 1848 the original clock tower indicated lunchtime by the raising of a brass ball at noon and lowering it an hour later.

A concrete clock tower was installed on the site in the mid 1960′s following the demolishing of the Victorian tower and adjacent market hall in December 1964.

Pictures of the area in the 1960′s are available on the Blackburn now and then website

Blackburn market history available here

Filed Under: Building clocks Tagged With: Car Park, Car Parks, Car Shopping, Clock Faces, Clock Tower, Clocks, Concrete, Confidence, Correct Time, Economy, Focal Point, Frontage, King William Street, Lunchtime, Mall Shopping, Market History, Shopping Centre, Three Faces, Victorian Tower

Henri LLoyd store Falmouth

Print This Post

March 9, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

This clock above the Henri LLoyd store in Falmouth maybe hiding a past heritage.

Henri LLoyd store Falmouth

Although now labelled with the words Henri Lloyd the clock mount and shape look very similar to the clocks installed above many of the H Samuel Jewellery stores.

Could this store have been a jewellers at some point?

Filed Under: Building clocks Tagged With: Clock, Clocks, Falmouth, H Samuel, Henri Lloyd, Heritage, Jewellers, Jewellery Stores, Shape

Preston bus station clocks

Newcastle railway station clock

Workington ‘Camera Obscura’

Carnforth Railway Station Clock

Further information

The Mall clock, Blackburn

Henri LLoyd store Falmouth

Wigton Medical Centre – clock

Lowther Castle clock restoration

Blackburn Cathedral clock

TWITTER

Similar Posts