Big Ben is now chiming once more after a five-year pause. Armistice Day commemorations began across the nation as the bells in the famous London tower rang out.
The tower, which has been undergoing a costly refurbishment, had remained silent for a while until the bells finally began to ring.
They rang out once more, drawing both tourists and locals together. Absolutely amazing. They have a unique tone that is hard to describe. Essentially, London’s sound is the ringing of Big Ben.
Why was Big Ben deafeningly quiet for five years?
When an £80 million (€91.5 million) renovation works on the Elizabeth tower, the famous structure’s official name since 2011, started in 2017, Big Ben went silent. The bell itself has the moniker “Big Ben.”
Since then, there have only been a few brief exceptions, including at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Big Ben will now start to ring at the regular hour when the bell returns to normal operation. Every 15 minutes, four more modest bells will sound.
The renovated tower has a gleaming golden façade after spending the better five years enclosed by scaffolding.
Since the scaffolding had been there for so long, the British breakfast company HP Sauce incorporated the building frame into its Big Ben-centered logo.
Although the tower is no longer covered in scaffolding, visitors are still not permitted while the last-minute repair work is being done.
What is Big Ben’s history?
One of the most recognizable structures in the world and maybe London’s most iconic structure is Big Ben.
The Welsh civil engineer Sir Benjamin Hall, who represented the House of Commons for over 30 years in the 19th century, is most likely the source of the term.
After being raised into the tower in 1856, the original “Big Ben” bell had a significant crack. A new bell was constructed and raised in 1858, and it is still in the tower today.
Given that it has been there for 150 years, I hope it stays there for another 150. Just me, but I believe it is the gorgeous structure in the world.
