Big Ben inspires local horologist

Big Ben inspired the career of Bristol businessman Andrew Nicholls

Big Ben, Britain's most famous bell, will celebrate 150 years of chiming on Saturday, 11 July 2009.

For Andrew Nicholls it is a feat of engineering that started his career and a lifelong fascination with horology.

He started his own business - Bristol's Tower Clocks Company - 20 years ago and says Big Ben indirectly led him into his career.

The clock in the tower at St Bartholomew's Church in Bishopston was the first he ever restored.

"Big Ben is the icon of the UK," Mr Nicholls said.

"It's our symbol for tourists abroad. Everyone thinks of Big Ben as the user symbol for England.

He added: There are bigger clocks in the world but British clock making led the field at the time.

"Things have moved on now, we are talking about electronics and control from radio and satellite signals.

"Things have changed there, partly because of the cost of labour of looking after these old mechanisms.

"We've got the heritage here [at St Bartholomew's Church] of an old mechanism - a lot of church clocks are like this - [and] it's important to keep the industrial heritage alive.

"People such as myself, with the skills to do that, are keeping that going."