FOR 58 years it has been a distinctive part of Haltwhistle's history. And now the Tynedale town's 1954 carnival clock may be dragged into the digital age.
The old clock, with a bell above it, stands high on the wall of the former Clive Brown store in the main street.
But under plans to convert the store into flats, the old-fashioned cogs and wheels have to go.
The workings invade the interior of the building and as long as they stay, the conversion to flats can’t be carried out.
But it will cost several thousand pounds to digitise the familiar old clock, which was donated to the town by the carnival committee, and bring it into the modern age.
Haltwhistle Partnership and Town Council are now seeking ways to raise the money and get the work done, without changing its appearance.
Graham Ridley of Haltwhistle Partnership said: “The workings are inside the building and do take quite a bit of space.
“The partnership is now applying for charitable funds – our Project Office Yvonne Probert is looking into it – and the town council will play its part too.
“I’d say £7,000 is a ballpark figure, but it will certainly cost several thousand pounds.
“However, the clock can be digitised with the appearance remaining very much the same.”
The ownership of the clock is uncertain, although the building belongs to the Partnership.
The clock has undergone numerous repairs and has not always run accurately, but it has become an integral and familiar part of the town centre.
Vic Fleming, vice-chairman of Haltwhistle Town Council, said: “It is a landmark in the streetscape and we mustn’t just abandon it.
“It is in a Conservation Area and is attached to a Grade II-listed building. It is very much part of the town and we would like to retain it.
“We had a public meeting recently and when we asked the 30 people present for their feelings, 25 said they were in favour of retaining it, and only five were against. That demonstrates the sort of feeling there is for the old clock in the town.
“There’s not much heritage to pass on in Haltwhistle ... the mineworkings have gone, the brickworks have gone, the clayworks have gone.
“So the clock represents some of what is left of our heritage, and we need to keep it.”
Coun Fleming added: “It has cogs, pulleys, wheels, chains and an electric motor. It’s just that it’s past its sell-by date.
“But if it were to be refurbished, it could perhaps be a thought, in jubilee year, to call it a jubilee clock.”
