Emett water clock...and other clocks


Recommended Posts

Changes to the Emett water clock are coming......

Intu (Vic Centre owners) understand the importance of the clock to the people of Nottingham and its visitors. The plan is to take it away (in a few weeks time) for restoration by volunteers from the Rowland Emett Society. It will then become a temporary exhibit in a Birmingham venue, to coincide with exhibition of other Emett works in Birmingham. This will allow Intu time to refurbish the Vic Centre, without risk to the clock. All being well, it will come home in a better state than it left and with a more impressive presence.

There should be other "lines of communication" but I'll try to post here when anything significant happens. If anyone is getting round to taking photos or video for posterity, best do it now!

The Engineer

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 407
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

Yet another update! We've put some serious hours in this week, building the clock in Birmingham (Millennium Point - access is free if you are anywhere near but read on to understand what you might

Thank you for the kind comments, especially from those of you who have followed me on this journey. On location, I think the natural daylight is great - it is after all meant to be a sunflower, cobwe

Nope, not TT. On the matter of drinking, each day I've worked within that enclosure has been physically exhausting because of the heat and humidity - somewhere between a greenhouse and a sauna. Have

Posted Images

  • 2 weeks later...

The exhibition in Birmingham is temporarily bringing together several works by Emett. I have no reason to suspect that 'our' clock won't be back next year.

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Breaking news...........

The basin was emptied today so that we could look around and size up the job. It's not known whether the legs are concreted in so a part of the slab-work will need to be broken up to find out. The dismantling of the clock will commence on Monday 10-February so we decided that isn't worth filling the basin with water again. A solid barrier will be erected around the clock soon and used to display information about plans for the area.

The Engineer

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for the update. It will be great to have the clock back to it's original operating glory! Nottingham should be proud to have it!

Link to post
Share on other sites

The basin was emptied today so that we could look around and size up the job. It's not known whether the legs are concreted in so a part of the slab-work will need to be broken up to find out. The dismantling of the clock will commence on Monday 10-February .......... A solid barrier will be erected around the clock soon

That will cause a few problems. When I walked past the thing a couple of days ago, the seating around the edge was fully occupied by at least 30+ people, all apparently at least over the age of 70.

There's going to be a lot of aimless oldies wandering around Nottingham now.

Link to post
Share on other sites

What happened to all the money in the bottom. I hope the Council don't commandeer it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Apparently in 2010 the Vic centres bosses donated £7000 to Guide dogs For the Blind Charity from the money thrown into the pool around the clock.

  • Upvote 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

'Ere, #61, what's all this about aimless oldies??? I'll have you know I know exactly where I'm going and just because the years have------ ! Sorry! Forgot what I was going to say now. noblue

Link to post
Share on other sites

Not long back there was a letter in the Post suggesting that if the Vic Centre didn't want the clock, then a space for it should be found in the entrance hall of the newly revamped Midland Station. A bit late now for that I suppose, but it would have been a great welcome/goodbye sight to travellers, or a bit of entertainment for those sitting around having a cuppa.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just to clarify, the management DO want to keep the clock - it will be coming back. They understand its importance and historical links to the shopping centre and to the City.

In regard of the money thrown into the basin, it is periodically collected and has been donated to various charities over the years. There has been an estimated £250,000 pitched in over the last forty years! None of this money goes towards upkeep, maintenance, renovation, etc. of the clock, nor does it go to the Council.

The Engineer

  • Upvote 2
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

Update:

I have recently seen some photographs from the private collection of Rowland Emett's family and it is obvious that quite a few frame tubes and other bits have been removed at some point. The mechanical arrangement supporting the main water wheel is also not as per original. Some of you may also remember that there was a ring of water spouts around the base of the middle feature - one photograph shows the spouts and associated pipework. I'll enquire about permission to publish the photographs.

When we take the clock away in February, we will assess the potential to restore it as much as possible to its original configuration.

I'll be going to measure up what I can tomorrow or Saturday, as I would like to create a 3D drawing.

Engineer.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I may have caught our engineer in action....either that or someone else has been playing with his toys.

Note the person who appears to be considering a suicide jump - even though there's no water in the fountain.

clock2.jpg

And here he's standing in the "water" checking his notes.

clock1-1.jpg

  • Upvote 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

Have visited again this morning to get some more dimensions. Don't think I got papped this time!

There is no enclosure up yet but we are still scheduled to start dismantling on Monday after the shops close.

BTW, I hear the elephants will be removed today.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Update:

I got to the Vic Centre around 5.30pm yesterday. Intu management and PR people were there around 6pm. BBC Radio Nottingham were covering it and I think Evening Post too. Apparently Central TV had said they'd be there but something else must have come up. We had to wait until 7pm for the public to leave before the Intu engineers could bring two cherry pickers to the area. Tim from the Emett Society set up a couple of video cameras upstairs on the balcony. Intu staff brought a stack of pallets and rolls of bubble wrap.

The Intu engineers started from the top, removing the three pendants from the "mobile", their support rods, the top spire, the four clock faces then the clock support tower. Meanwhile, I went down to the basement and stripped out the electrical control panel (the one that I had previously built) and the stereo system.

We removed all the petal operating rods (36 off). Tim from the Emett Society was numbering and tagging everything as we went, laying the parts out on pallets, ready to be bubble-wrapped. I stripped out the electrics from the clockwork control box while the Intu engineers started removing the petals.

One of the Intu engineers started to lift the floor slabs as we need to get to the bottom of the legs - just hope they aren't contreted in (we don't know yet). We managed to lift a couple - they are slate, about an inch thick. It was clear that water had got down through the grout, so I'm hoping the rest won't be too secure though will take my pickaxe tonight just in case.

Each petal was secured with a pin about 4" long and 3/8" diameter that had to be tapped out carefully - not much room to work between petals and several were quite tight so this was time consuming and noisy. The cut-off for "noisy" work was 10pm (noise travels up to the flats we hear), by which time they had managed to remove 18 petals (out of 36). We then switched to "quiet" tasks.

The Intu engineers removed the "orchestra players" then the mechanism for the top "mobile", followed by the next tower section (that was quite heavy). Then they removed some cover plates and the orchestra turntable. I removed the central ornate piece. We took the big water wheel off and layed it down in the basin. I took the bell off.

We carried the water wheel to a secret location (OK, it was an empty unit in the Centre). It only just fitted through several sets of double doors if held at an angle. Lastly, the water spout pipe was remove. It was now past midnight, and there was nothing else that could be done without making noise. I departed, leaving the Intu enginners to move the multitudinous parts (now on pallets) to the empty unit, and to put the cherry pickers away.

We'll carry on this evening - I reckon we should get done today but saying that, we haven't got to the bottom of the legs yet so that could sink a few hours.

Incidentally, the barrier didn't materialise so anyone visiting today can see what remains to be disassembled.

Finally, I chatted with a senior manager from Intu and she said it's definitely coming back and they have identified a space for it. There won't be seats around it, just some sort of glass barrier. Please ignore any rumours to the contrary. I wouldn't be getting so involved it there was any chance of losing the clock.

The Engineer

  • Upvote 4
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Cliff Ton changed the title to Emett water clock...and other clocks

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...