Bangor clock has undergone major upgrade to feature a digital display, replacing the traditional analog clock faces.
Originally designed by architect A Neill of Leeds and built by T.J. Humphreys of Bangor in 1886-7 the clock was presented to the city of Bangor by Aldn Thomas Lewis J P Garthewen during his time as mayor, as a token of his interest in the welfare of the city.
Tourists and some students had reportedly been complaining about the “dated” look of Bangor and wanted to bring it up to date with other cities.
In a survey 90% of respondents said they would like Bangor clock to be updated and modernised, while others complained the clock was often “a few minutes out” meaning they missed their bus or were late for work.
The Welsh tourist board were in favour of the upgrade and have funded the project, which has also been approved by the National Society for British Heritage (NSBH).
The clock tower is Grade II Listed and maintained by the city council, who are delighted with the new look.
A spokesperson said: “We’ve been thinking about this upgrade for a while, we did consider it several year’s ago, but at the time we were concerned about the effects of the Millennium Bug, we had to wait until the time was right.
“Everyone knows Bangor is famous for the clock and this is a great way to attract tourists into the area, it’s a real feature and a statement of our intent to move Bangor forward into the digital age.
“Visitors often comment the clock is running late or at a slightly different to their own watches or phones, this will make sure we don’t have this problem in the future, plus it’s going to save us thousands in maintenance costs.
To celebrate Bangor as a city of culture, each face of the clock will show a different time from countries around the world. When asked if people would find this confusing an official said: “That’s a valid opinion obviously, but it really depends which way you look at it.”
