One of Middlesbrough’s best-known landmarks is getting some careful after the hands were temporarily removed from the Town Hall clock for specialist restoration.
All four pairs of hands have been taken down and are now being worked on by clock specialists Smith of Derby. The hands on the west-facing Albert Road side will be replaced with new copper and brass replicas, while those on the other three faces will be repaired and restored where needed.
The work is a fairly rare job. Middlesbrough Council says similar repairs were last carried out in the mid-1990s.
Getting the hands down involved specialists working inside the clock tower and removing glass from the clock face. The restoration is expected to be completed in September, returning the familiar timepiece to the town centre skyline.
The project is also being documented by photographer Simon Hill. His photographs are due to feature in The North Revisited, a book being published by Image & Reality Press in October.
Smith of Derby Works Manager Dean Allen said the project combines specialist clockmaking with rope-access expertise to restore the historic timepiece and keep it operating for years to come.
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke described the clock as an iconic part of the town’s skyline and said the repairs would help keep it working for future generations.
: Middlesbrough Council. Read the original council update.