Royal Courts of Justice

Perhaps pushing the boundaries of what can be called a public clock, I have included some pictures taken at the Royal Courts of Justice in The Strand, London, during last weekend's Open House London (see www.openhouselondon.org.uk).

The building is by the architect George Edmund Street, and is in the Victorian Gothic Revival style. The Great Hall is cathedral-like in both its size (70 m long, 15 m wide and 25 m high), and makes the substantial clock at its northern end seem lost.

There are numerous other clocks around the building, including a standard design in each of the many courtrooms (where photography is banned). The clock below is on one of the upper corridors surrounding the Great Hall.

The above two clocks are both by Gillett & Co of Croydon. The company was established in 1844, although only became known this name in 1884. Subsequently the company has become Gillett & Johnston and is still in existence, although it moved out of Croydon this year. Further details are on the company's website at www.gillettjohnson.co.uk.

The following clocks are in the more ornately decorate parts of the building, nesting amongst the fine wallpapers and polished marble......

 

...or between portraits of the great and good in the legal world.

Enfield

A look at Enfield town (rather than the whole London borough). The compact town centre has a nice range of clock types.

The first example is on Church Street. This, as you can clearly see, is Gordon Thomas opticians. A well-maintained clock. The time was right on this face, but the other face seems to be showing the wrong time when I went back past it over two hours later.

Nestling behind the market on Church Street (which includes the branch of Barclays Bank which opened the world's first ATM in 1967) is the church of St Andrew's.

The clock face is a very simple but clear and effective one by JW Benson of London.

Further along Church Street is this barrel clock on what is now a branch of Prezzo. A very attractive addition to the streetscape, but unfortunately not working. The clock design, and the building itself, would suggest that this was originally a coaching inn.

Across the road to what is still a pub, and to a clock that is working. No prizes for guessing that this is The George pub.

Just round the corner on London Road you can find this clock on a jeweller's shop. I won't embarrass the shop in question as the clock is not working (but helpfully shows a different time on each face).
I have never thought that it is a good advert for a jeweller's to have a stopped clock, but perhaps not many people take notice of public clocks these days.

Moving north onto Silver Street, and to the premises of Blake and Horlock funeral directors. This clock is working, but shows completely the wrong time, and a different time on each face. I suppose time doesn't matter to their ultimate clients, or perhaps it is always later than you think.