Big Ben Goes Digital (Again)

Status: Prank
Recently Big Ben's chimes have been silenced as repairs are made to it. Apparently this has inspired policemen at Westminster to revive the BBC's 1980 April Fool's Day joke. The BBC Reports:
Policemen at the Palace of Westminster are notorious for their mischievous sense of humour when it comes to dealing with tourists. For example, they once nominated a camera-shy constable as the "official" PC to be photographed by visitors eager to be snapped with a British bobby. But the latest wheeze takes the biscuit. Apparently when tourists ask why Big Ben has been silenced for work on the famous bell, they are told: "Because it's going digital."
(Thanks to Andrew Nixon for the link)

April Fools Day Pranks

Posted on Wed Jul 05, 2006


Comments

I walked past Big Ben on the 4th of July at 10pm, bell seemed as loud and normal as ever to me.
Posted by shaqua  on  Thu Jul 06, 2006  at  10:49 AM
It's actually a very good mp3 recording of Big Ben. Only people under 30 are supposed to be able to hear it.
Posted by Owen  on  Thu Jul 06, 2006  at  03:16 PM
ah, a new terroist initiative to drive away all those under thirty hoodie wearing youths no doubt. (and lawyers)
Posted by Shaqua  on  Thu Jul 06, 2006  at  06:22 PM
Please to say the bells are back to work now.

All together now... ding-dong ding-dong, ding-dong ding-dong dingdong.

PS. While the bells were not working BBC Radio 4 replaced the bells, which heralded the 6 o'clock news, with recordings of bird song.

The Ruddy Duck makes a sound that people took for a hoax. It is a strange whiring noise which I cannot describe better.
Posted by Peter  on  Thu Jul 06, 2006  at  06:50 PM
I really enjoyed the birdsong. It was a nice bit of calm and tranquillity whilst stuck in traffic.
Posted by Madmouse  on  Fri Jul 07, 2006  at  02:10 PM
Due to unforeseen technical problems, the BBC regrets to announce that, as from tomorrow, it will be broadcasting the chimes of Big Ben to south-east Asian listeners in black-and-white only.
Posted by Graham  on  Wed Dec 24, 2008  at  11:30 PM
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