Time for a change as clock gets a refit

No longer will residents be left bemused at the time or unable to read the hour in the dark after the 180 year old clock has had a refit.

It has recently been fitted with a 21st Century technology intelligent system.

Now the controller receives a radio signal from the national master atomic clock from a laboratory in the North of England.

This signal is accurate to a quarter of a second in ten million years and also sends signals to adjust the summer and winter hour changes automatically.

Previously the clock would suffer from power failures leaving the hands reading the wrong time. Now a master control system has been fitted and the clock will no longer suffer with long term power failures as it is now constantly monitored.

Should there be a power failure, the system will be aware of the duration of the power cut and the hands will automatically be advanced to the correct time.

Both dials have been fully restored using 23.5 carat gold leaf and new soft mellow back lighting has also been installed.

This lighting is on for 24 hours a day and will enable residents to read the time during hours of darkness, or, during the day when the weather is overcast.

Master clock maker Peter Fletcher ran his clock restoration business in Biggleswade for 10 years and regularly maintained the clock during that time until he retired to Spain 12 years ago. He offered to tender for the repair of the circa 1840 Drum Clock and travelled by car with his trusted tools to carry out the specialist service again.