Stopped clocks awareness and Alfie Dennen There are many who grumble when they notice a public clock that’s not working but how many do something about it? Very few, which is why the Stopped Clocks campaign, set up by Alfie Dennen from Hastings, East Sussex, is so heartwarming. The initiative started 10 years ago when Alfie succeeded in setting the Caledonian Park clock running again. The clock tower is located in Holloway and is the significant remaining element of the Metropolitan Cattle Market, which opened in 1855. Civic-spirited Alfie has since set up a website called Stopped Clocks to document clocks frozen in time around the UK, with the aim to get them ticking again. There are over 120 public clocks currently documented. He’s recently drawn attention to two iconic clocks in Birmingham which has created local media excitement. He says, “Public clocks often sit in a grey area between councils, landlords and tenants, which is why a nudge and a bit of local energy helps. “This project is at its core a social one. Stopped clocks are symbols. Almost every person in the country will say 'Oh, yes, I see them all the time, there's one in ...'. Behind that simple recognition lies many decades now of huge changes to British life, the actual reasons that have led to the neglect of our towns and cities, and in turn, a psychological cost of community and belonging. Stopped clocks are a lens to have these conversations with people. My strategy is to activate locally and through local action, build a national story. “There is work to be done! I hope that I can help bring enough attention to these important parts of our towns and cities that we can revive and restore where we can. Please would Clocktime newsletter readers join the website and add their voices and knowledge.” The team at Clocktime Digital Museum have signed up to the website and encourage lovers of public clocks to do the same here. We look forward to the initiative gaining greater recognition over the coming months and congratulate this modern-day champion of clock keeping for his success to date.
