So here I am taking you across the Manche and into jolly England and its capital city London. I have some posts on the city which I have visited on business trips several times and once with the family. It has souvenirs for all of us.
One of the symbols we look for it was Big Ben and I like to tell you a bit on it with our pictures.
Big Ben is the nickname for the 13.5-ton large bell on top of the Elizabeth Tower, the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, which is the seat of the Houses of Parliament in London. It is a symbol of the city of London. Only people who live in the UK can visit the clock tower after obtaining permission (so was told never tried to go up). The building faces the Thames, between Westminster Bridge and Westminster Abbey . Initially, the name of this bell was The Great Bell. The origin of the name Big Ben is uncertain.
The first bell was manufactured in 1856. To be able to transport it to the clock tower, it was installed on a carriage drawn by 16 horses. It split a few months after its installation, a second bell was then molded in 1858. In October of the same year, the bell was moved 61 meters to the belfry of the bell tower in 18 hours. On May 31, 1859, the famous clock entered service.
The frequency of the pendulum is adjusted to 2 fifths of a second per day, by adding (to accelerate) or removing (to slow) old 1 penny coins dating from the time when the British monetary system was not decimal. The sound of the Big Ben bell is due to the fact that it also cracked in 1859, barely two months after its official installation, which gives it a very distinctive tone. For technical reasons, the bell is oriented so that the hammer does not strike at the location of the crack. The famous chime air that marks the hour is called Westminster Quarters.
On three occasions, the Big Ben bell was rung for national mourning, at the national funeral; 68 times for the funeral of Edward VII in 1910, 70 times for that of George V in 1936, and 56 times for that of George VI in 1952. Each sound of the bell represents a year of their lives. Technically, Big Ben strictly refers to the largest bell on the clock, while the clock itself is the Great Westminster Clock and the tower was renamed in 2012 Elizabeth Tower on occasion of the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Since August 21, 2017, the tower is under renovation until 2021.
Here is my usual webpages to help you plan your trip here even if just to look at
Big Ben clock in the palace of Westminster, House of Parliament: Big Ben at the Parliament of UK
Tourist office of London on Big Ben: Tourist office of London on Big Ben
As said ,this is one of the main attractions of London and a must to see at least once. Afterward it loses its magic a bit me think. Hope you enjoy the post and do see Big Ben at London
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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