The chimes of London’s iconic Big Ben, the bell that marks time in the clock over the Houses of Parliament, rang out again on Saturday after being silenced for restoration work.
The bell will carry on tolling through the festive season until lunchtime on New Year’s Day, according to Reuters news agency.
Big Ben was taken out of action in August as part of a controversial renovation plan of Elizabeth Tower, which houses the clock. Authorities in the House of Commons said it would not be safe for contractors to work so close to a loud bell.
News that the bell would be silenced for four years for the work was greeted with dismay in some quarters. Londoners were told however that Big Ben would continue to chime for “important national events” such as New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Sunday.
Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the tower (St. Stephen’s Tower, renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012), and not the building or the clock (simply known as the Great Clock) itself.