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Town clock hands removed for restoration

Tom BurgessNorth East and Cumbria
Simon Hill Joe Mines and Jason Budd are attached together with harnesses while removing the hands from a tower clock face. Both of the men are wearing safety helmets and Budd is leaning out of a hole in the glass face and holding a large wrench. The Transporter Bridge can be seen in the distance through a hole in the clock face.Simon Hill
Middlesbrough clock tower had similar work done in the mid-1990s

A town hall clock tower has had its hands removed for restoration work.

The last time the clock hands of Middlesbrough Town Hall were restored was 30 years ago in the 1990s.

Specialists from Smith of Derby attached themselves to harnesses and leaned out of the clock face to remove the eight pairs of hands.

Manager Dean Allen said they were "delighted" to take on the month-long restoration project to ensure the clock can operate for years to come.

He said: "It is a fantastic opportunity to combine our specialist clockmaking and rope-access expertise to carefully restore this historic timepiece."

Middlesbrough Council A large tower with two clockfaces without hands visible on two sides of the building. The stone is dark grey with sets of three arches underneath the clock faces.Middlesbrough Council
The pair of hands on the west side of the tower are being replaced

The pair of hands on the west side of the tower, facing Albert Road, are being completely replaced with replicas made of copper and brass.

Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke said "it is vital" to keep the town hall clock in working condition.

"This repair work will ensure the town centre has a reliable timepiece for all to see for future generations," he said.

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