1967: HOW does BIG BEN BONG? | Blue Peter | Science and Nature

1967: HOW does BIG BEN BONG? | Blue Peter | Science and Nature | BBC Archive

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4 ай бұрын

John Noakes (who else?) put his eardrums in the line of duty for Blue Peter when he went inside the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster to find out exactly what made Big Ben, "the most famous clock in the world", bong.
Big Ben, you see, was the name given to the largest bell within the tower - the one that takes care of the appropriate number of 'bongs' that mark the passing of each hour. Blue Peter got special permission to take their cameras up the tower into the bell chamber, to see (and hear) Big Ben in action.
Once the intrepid Mr Noakes had climbed all 336 steps, he got to poke his head out of the clock's east face, see the inner workings of the various gadgets in the machinery room, take a wander round the balcony for an incredible view of the city of London and, finally, brace himself for the mighty bell being struck at extremely close quarters as the bongs rang out for midday.
Clip taken from Blue Peter, originally broadcast on BBC One, Monday 24 April, 1967.
For more things Big Ben, take a look through our collection at www.bbc.co.uk/archive/big-ben...
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Пікірлер: 58

@yorgokarna6801 4 ай бұрын

Notice how John's accent gets more posh when he's talking to the Clock Master 😂

@fredo1070 4 ай бұрын

The Clock Master looks so happy that someone is interested in his job.

@dawnyWestScotland 4 ай бұрын

Oh yes, made me giggle 😆

@TheRealSmithFamily 4 ай бұрын

Completely apparent even to me. 🇺🇸

@petergivenbless900 4 ай бұрын

I thought he might have been mocking him, cheeky!

@dawnyWestScotland 4 ай бұрын

@@petergivenbless900 I did wonder 😆

@pomerakchildoriginal 4 ай бұрын

John Noakes: The only Blue Peter presenter insane enough to stand next to striking bells at close proximity.

@fredo1070 4 ай бұрын

These old documentaries are like gold dust. And you can see Old St Thomas Hospital.

@AtheistOrphan 4 ай бұрын

Blue Peter wasn’t really a documentary.

@fredo1070 4 ай бұрын

@@AtheistOrphan I grew up thinking Blue Peter was a children's show. But watching these old clips show how grown up and adult Blue Peter was, especially compared to modern TV , like the One Show.

@AtheistOrphan 4 ай бұрын

@@fredo1070 - I Totally agree. Television has certainly dumbed down!

@michael7286 4 ай бұрын

Never used to miss Blue Peter back in the early days with my favourite presenters - John Noakes, Peter Purves, Valerie Singleton.

@nigden1 3 ай бұрын

I remember the delightful Valerie Singleton confessing that Peter Perves had given her a good seeing to. This triggered a lengthy period of Onanistic indulgence for teenage boys, Val was lusted after. Peter Purves was thenceby referred to as Peter Pervert.

@jasonayres 4 ай бұрын

"England swings like a pendulum do Bobbies on bicycles, two by two Westminster Abbey, the tower of Big Ben The rosy-red cheeks of the little children." (Roger Miller. 1965) Seeing John stand next to the bell reminded me of this once popular old song.

@AtheistOrphan 4 ай бұрын

I love the way they always used to say “We took Blue Peter cameras to….”

@atomictraveller 4 ай бұрын

i'm surprised you can still say blue peter without getting banned.

@RUSH2112RUSH 4 ай бұрын

Big Ben: I am a Legend John Noakes: Hold my pint...

@Jack_Warner 4 ай бұрын

One can never tire of watching old Blue Peter clips. I think I learned more from BP than I did at school. Did you all know that john was an actor before he got into Blue Peter. As was Peter Purves. I have an old 1964 episode of Redcoat, that John was in, along with Ian McShane.

@hopebgood 4 ай бұрын

I was far too young to see this when first broadcast but I love seeing the ways Blue Peter used to try and kill John Noakes.

@TestGearJunkie. 4 ай бұрын

Peter was in Dr. Who.

@PhilofBristol 4 ай бұрын

It's a wonder that John Noakes wasn't expected to climb up the outside!! I'm too young to remember this (only about 9/10 weeks old when it was first shown) but this is so typical of the really interesting articles that John, Pete, and the other Blue Peter presenters brought us every week.

@Kenny_P_abz 4 ай бұрын

Years later Peter Duncan was outside cleaning the clock face on a bosuns chair with no safety rope.

@dawnyWestScotland 4 ай бұрын

Really loved this! 💛 Great childhood memories of Blue Peter!

@deanmarskell1518 4 ай бұрын

So interesting to see how big Ben works ❤

@AtheistOrphan 4 ай бұрын

6:43

@philipmilner9638 4 ай бұрын

I can remember this when it was first on Blue Peter

@andrewmwells9606 4 ай бұрын

Amazing how he stood there without ear protectors listening to the bell, also. I think there is a lift in there now

@RaveDave871 3 ай бұрын

"16 tons and whata ya get..." burst eardrums ya prat !

@RaveDave871 3 ай бұрын

Nothing excites me more than big clock 😝

@Flip5ide 4 ай бұрын

Excellent, thank you!

@dawnyWestScotland 4 ай бұрын

I wasn’t thought of until the 70’s though!😂

@Smudgie 4 ай бұрын

I'm pretty certain I viewed Valerie Singleton as a surrogate mother.

@Jack_Warner 4 ай бұрын

I wonder if the original 16mm film still exists of this? As it looks like it was transferred onto video tape for the programme.

@evd 4 ай бұрын

07:49 He had no ear plugs?? I've been up there on a recent tour. That bell is damn loud!

@jim854 4 ай бұрын

'I could go and live up there with a gong and I could gong the gong to make the bong and hum the bim bom.'

@ItsEnderium 4 ай бұрын

The time in this video is 9AM or 9PM (there were 9 tolls)

@bigboyshassen59 4 ай бұрын

OI IT’S 7 BONG

@carwashslayer4235 12 күн бұрын

7:32 the chimes sound lower wonder why

@G6JPG Ай бұрын

"Every time there's a climbing job to be done, it always seems to be me that goes." Accompanied by a man lugging a 1960s TV (or film) camera, of course!

@misspurrr-fect3684 4 ай бұрын

Education under the guise of a Childrens tv programme , how times have changed .

@jamesnicholson2503 4 ай бұрын

Its a wonder he never had hearing trouble.

@jamesnicholson2503 4 ай бұрын

My knees was alright i'd run that,315 foot up i'd go.

@kunaeng5315 3 ай бұрын

7:32 changed voice

@abbbielittle 2 ай бұрын

Does anyone know if this is still how it works today? I know Big Ben underwent construction a few years ago.

@JJONNYREPP 2 ай бұрын

Just like I had to do with the stylus arm on my record player...as a kid.

@djtomoy 4 ай бұрын

Some sort of bell maybe 🤔

@jamesnicholson2503 4 ай бұрын

I, shouldn't say this when he put that glass back in,I would have laughed my head off,if the glass had bowed the other way & fell out,my God that would have been mad!!

@jamesnicholson2503 4 ай бұрын

315 foot.