Photo: Lee J Haywood
Lincoln Cathedral’s ‘Great Tom’ is still in need of repairs and may not be ready to chime in time for the New Year’s Eve countdown.
While Lincoln Cathedral’s bells will continue to ring throughout the day, the five-tonne bell will still be out of action for a number of weeks, because the leaf springs that protect the hammer are no longer working owing to wear and tear.
Great Tom resides in the central tower of the cathedral and is the largest bell. It is the only bell to chime the hour.
“We estimate around four to six weeks untill the bell is repaired. Obviously, New Year is a big concern to us, at the moment, yes, the bell will be operational for then. If not, then we will have to look at some alternative arrangements” says Carole Heidschuster, the works manager at the cathedral.
“It’s quite odd without the hourly chimes. We still have the quarterly bells, but when it gets to the hour it’s very odd. You just think to yourself, ‘Ooh I’ll look at my watch, what time is it?’ It’s quite strange.”
