Clocking On

Well Nottingham's unique landmark clock has been returned to the Victoria Centre, after being refurbished in Birmingham.

It has been away since February last year and has been missed by many people, as it made for a good meeting place, being near the entrance to the shopping centre.

Although everyone is very pleased to see it back, they are not too happy as to where it has now been placed. The owners of the centre have resisted it upstairs and away from people, unless you happened to go that way. This is because the owners are spending millions doing up the centre and the clock just got in the way of their plans.

And being upstairs, there is no way of looking at it from above like you used to be able to do, where it had sat since the early 1970s.  Looking at it from above was great, because you got a good view of all the moving parts when it struck the hour etc. And of course you also managed to get better angles for photographs.

Tempest Fugit

Well the Emitt clock has completely disappeared and is now on it's way to Birmingham, and the seating area around it is also vanishing; brick by brick.

After I put up the previous photo of the clock sans faces, a friend of mine put a photo of the area on Facebook (thanks Jane), so I popped over at lunchtime to see what the area is like now.

It's quite sad to see, as it's been there for 40 years. Thousands of people have met under it's gaze, listened to the music and tossed money into the pool, whilst wishing for something nice.

I read somewhere that all the coins have amounted to over £250,000, and the money has gone to charity for some good work with dogs for the blind.

So where will the shoppers, friends and family all meet up with each other now? By the orange fencing, doesn't really have the same feeling to it as under the water clock.

Time Has Stopped

There has been some controversy over at the Victoria Centre, as of part of the plans to revamp the centre, the owners have thought about moving the famous and well loved Emett Clock. This has caused a bit of an outcry, as it has stood where it is since it was erected in 1973.

The Aqua Horological Tintinnabulator, to give it its proper name was built by eccentric artist Roland Emett, who was involved in the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang film, and has been a favourite with local people since.

But the clock is on the move, not to another part of the shopping centre, but to Birmingham. Not for good fortunately, but only for a holiday for a year or so whilst the building is upgraded. It's also going to get a sprucing up. Something that hasn't happened to it for quite a while.