Reigate clockmaker tolled Big Ben for King George VI

A retired clockmaker has recalled how he manually struck Big Ben 56 times during the funeral of the late Queen's father, King George VI, with a chime to mark each year of his life.

As the nation prepares to say farewell to the Queen on Monday, Ron Witty, 92, from Reigate, recalled the atmosphere of the King's funeral in 1952.

Mr Witty was part of the team that maintained the world-famous clock.

He said the head of Dent, which made Big Ben, counted down to each strike.

The Dent London website includes an account of how three clockmakers tendered for the prestigious construction and British clockmaker Edward John Dent won the commission to make Big Ben for the Houses of Parliament in 1852.

George VI became king unexpectedly following the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII in 1936. He died in 1952 at the age of 56.

Mr Witty said: "When there were ten seconds to go, he said lift and we lifted and when it got to five, he would go five, four, three, two, one, and we let go.

"It was very, very crude actually the way it was done but that was the only thing we could do."

He remembered: "The atmosphere was fantastic.

"There were people outside and we started tolling Big Ben when the coffin was put on the gun carriage, and there were crowds of people watching, and then it just drove off, and then there was nothing, you know, people followed, but I felt very proud."

He said: "I didn't think anything more about it it. It was a job and it had to be done and I was pleased to do it and when it finished I just disappeared in the crowd."

Mr Witty worked as a horologist until he retired at the age of 86.

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