If you tend to glance up at our Parish Church tower to check the time, when you’re making your way through Ruddington, you might have been rather misled lately.
Even though the hands of St Peter’s clock may reassure you are not late for that midday appointment after all, they have actually been frozen at 6 minutes to 12 for quite some time!
Indeed, there are two incorrect clock dials on the historic building. The most prominent of these is the south face of the tower – with a newer one added to the east side in 1954, in memory of long serving Vicar of Ruddington Frank Potts.
The next significant chapter in the history of the St Peter’s timepiece was in 1963, when planning permission was granted to illuminate the two dials at night with floodlights. Then, in 1973, vicar, Revd A C Shrimpton oversaw “…the electrification of the clock by a separate, synchronous drive”.
Almost half a century later, it’s been discovered the specialist parts now required to fix this failed electric mechanism need to come from abroad – and that they are not cheap! Thankfully, as church funds are rather depleted after the pandemic, Ruddington Parish Council has stepped in to help fund the repairs. Therefore, it’s hoped the historic clock hands will be telling the right time again very soon.
The current vicar of St Peter’s Church, the Revd Andrew Buchanan, says: “Finally, it’s not going to be 6 minutes to 12 all day! (There must be a sermon in there somewhere!!) A big thank you to the Parish Council for helping to restore a much-loved village landmark.”
Church Administrator, Nikki Roe, adds: “We’ve all missed seeing the clock working – it’s made us realise how much we look up at the church clock to see the time. We are so grateful to Ruddington Parish Council for their kind grant to cover the repair of this Ruddington landmark.”
She reveals: “The specialist clock repairers have promised us that they will fix the clock ‘within the month’ so we should see the hands of the clock moving before long.”
Graham Wright via RUDDINGTON.info