A clock at one at one of Swansea's most historic landmarks remains stuck on the same time nearly 18 months after it was meant to be fixed.
The Guildhall Tower clock, which has overlooked the city since the 1930s has been at 12 o'clock since December 2019 when Swansea Council explained some of its inner workings were damaged and in need of repair.
At the time we reported how parts were removed and taken away to be repaired by one of Britain’s top clock companies, based in Cumbria, which has previously looked after clocks at other landmarks including Salisbury Cathedral, Hampton Court Palace and the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool, which contains the UK’s biggest clock dials.
It had been hoped the repairs would be completed and the clock good as new by January 2020, and Swansea Council cabinet member David Hopkins promised at the time that the clock inside will be back up and running "as soon as possible".
He had said at the time: “The engineers say parts of the mechanism that drive the clock hands have become worn and need replacement. As this is a specialist job, the clock will be out of action for a number of weeks until we can get the repairs completed. In the meantime we’re setting the hands on each of the clock faces to 12.”
But now, as we get set to enter May 2021, time still stands still for the famous clock.
Providing an update on the works, a spokesman for Swansea Council said: “Some of the inner workings of the clock need repairing and have been inspected by specialist engineers. To ensure value for money, now we know the work required we have asked contractors to supply quotes but this process has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. As restrictions are lifted contractors will be able to complete the work required.”
The Guildhall itself was designed by architect Sir Percy Thomas and built on what was once part of Victoria Park. Construction started in 1930 and took four years to complete. The Guildhall and its clock remarkably escaped unscathed during the three-night Swansea Blitz of 1941, and speculation was rife that Adolf Hitler’s generals may have instructed bomber crews to avoid the landmark as it was regarded as such a fine building.
