1971: Maintaining Big Ben

The World at One describes how Big Ben has been kept up to the mark as an accurate time-keeper since 1859. The people who maintain the clock describe its intricate workings, which have survived wartime bombing and extreme weather. However, there is a risk that the dearth of their traditional skills in the modern age could threaten to silence Big Ben.

The report also includes a wartime recording by Robin Duff, who presented the first edition of BBC Radio Newsreel at 3.30am on 8 July 1940. This news channel was founded by Peter Pooley and provided the means for war correspondents to file their reports.

BBC Archive: Originally broadcast 15 February 1971