KARACHI: Big Ben, the famed bell belonging to Britain’s parliament, will chime non-stop for three minutes in the Olympics opening ceremony.
It is aimed to be as part of a national event to mark the start of the London Games.
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of
Westminster in London.
It is generally extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower as well.
It holds the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world and is the third-tallest free-standing clock tower.
The huge bell will strike more than 40 times between as part of an event devised by Turner
Prize-winning British artist Martin Creed.
It is thought to be the first time in history Big Ben will ring outside its normal sequence
since February 15, 1952, when it tolled every minute for 56 strokes for the funeral of King
George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II.
“It is a sign of how special this summer is when one of the world’s most famous bells will
ring outside its regular schedule,” said John Bercow, the speaker of the House of Commons,
the lower house of parliament.
The event is part of the London 2012 cultural festival, a series of events coinciding with
the Olympics.
The bells for the devolved assemblies of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland will also
chime in unison at the same time.
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