Big Ben Swears Off Bongs

Big Ben, the famous bell that strikes the hours in the clock tower that stands at the northeastern end of the Houses of Parliament in London has sworn off bongs - for a month or so. (Big Ben is not the clock itself, incidentally, it is the largest of the bells inside the tower.)

The "bongs" of Big Ben will be heard for the last time at 8am on Saturday before Britain's most famous clock falls silent for a month.

Maintenance work will mean the hourly chimes and quarter bells will cease to ring until September.

The work will include the replacement of the bearings on the strike train which operates the hour bell (Big Ben) and the going train which controls the clock itself.

While the clock will continue to work, those who set their watch by it should be warned - on Saturday it will be stopped for several hours while an alternative system is installed to keep it working while the maintenance work to the bells is carried out.

What, you thought the clock was on drugs?