London's Big Ben stops to chime to give way to restoration

London's Big Ben was heard chiming its last on Monday until the restoration of the 96-meter Elizabeth Tower is finished in 2021.

The four-year repair includes the installation of a lift, and repair on the clock's hands, mechanism and pendulum.

However, there is outcry over the length of repair. Many ordinary Britons believe the restoration period is just too long. In fact, this is the longest it will be silent since it first sounded in 1859.

Even Prime Minister Theresa May said, "It can’t be right for Big Ben to be silent for four years."

For many tourists visiting London, the daily 118-decibel big bongs are part of the identity of the iconic clock.

The Big Ben is said to be one of the most photographed buildings in the world. Now that it is half enveloped in scaffolding as part of the renovation, tourists are also moaning.

"Kaya nagulat nga ako kasi naka-repair siya. Maganda sana kung buo siya, yung walang nakaharang na repair stuff," said Pinoy tourist Mary Rose dela Paz.

But despite the repair, one working clock will be visible at all times and the big bongs will be heard on special occasions like Remembrance Day and New Year's Eve. -- With Thirdy Ado, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau