BIG BEN
- Some Facts -
G'day folks,
Here are some facts you have always wanted to know about this famous clock.
He
was cast on 10th April 1858, so he's 151 years old.
Is Big Ben one of
Britain’s famous landmarks?
Yesirree!
Without a doubt, Big Ben is a very famous – and beloved – British
landmark; he was voted #1 in a 2008 survey.
Big
Ben is the giant bell in the belfry of the Clock Tower at the Palace of
Westminster
Big
Ben!
Who named Big Ben?
Londoners
did. SUPPOSEDLY, the bell was going to be named Victoria after Queen Victoria,
but Londoners started calling the bell "Big Ben" and the name stuck.
Big
Ben was cast at Whitechapel Bell Foundry, in East London, on 10th April 1858.
It took him two weeks to cool, and once he was ready, they transported him to
Westminster on a horse drawn carriage. Londoners lined the route and cheered as
the bell went past.
How much does Big
Ben weigh?
He
weighs about 13 and a half tons, about the same as a small elephant.
How tall is Big Ben?
How wide is Big Ben?
Big
Ben is 2.28 metres tall (7 feet six inches) and 2.75 metres wide (9 feet).
That's right -- he's wider than he is tall!
How loud is Big Ben?
If
you're standing in the belfry when it rings, you can feel the vibration all the
way from your head to your toes.
Yes,
if you listen. But it's not as loud as you'd think. It's actually easier to
hear it OUTSIDE!
What materials is
Big Ben made out of?
Tin
and copper, plus pieces of the old Big Ben, which was broken up after it
cracked.
What colour is Big
Ben?
Kind
of grey, with some green marks and a bit of old pigeon poo.
Does the clapper
inside ever need to be replaced?
Big
Ben doesn't have a clapper. He hangs very still from the belfry, and he is
struck by a hammer from the outside.
Who owns Big Ben?
You
do!
If you are a citizen of the UK, and if you pay taxes, you are one of the owners of Big Ben. In fact, you own the whole clock tower and the Houses of Parliament too!
If you are a citizen of the UK, and if you pay taxes, you are one of the owners of Big Ben. In fact, you own the whole clock tower and the Houses of Parliament too!
Clancy's comment: There ya go. Interesting, eh?
I'm ...
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