Restoration of the Elizabeth Tower, London's famous home to Big Ben

I had fortune to visit London again recently and checked in on an old friend of mine, Big Ben!

Although, did you know Big Ben is the name of the bell? The Elizabeth Tower is the name of the tower itself.

A little back story, the tower was completed in 1859 and was the most advanced turret tower clock of its time. It's still pretty impressive, 315ft (96m) tall and only 40ft across (12m) in its footprint. The original bell hammer was too powerful and cracked the bell - poor Ben! - twice!!!

Repaired several times toward the end of the 19th Century, the tower again suffered damage during WWII bombings and was restored not long later during peacetime 1950s.

Unfortunately, budget constraints of the time and perhaps a bit of hasty work around WWII all contributed to some longstanding issues which risked future degradation. The tower simply needed to be fixed.

In 2017, funds were actioned and the Elizabeth Tower became ensconced in scaffolding. The ring of mighty Ben was silenced not long following to prevent further damage.

As you might imagine, COVID disruption spread its grasp into the project and delays are newly determined to end mid-2022.

Maybe I'm a glass full kind of person, but I always feel it's kind of an interesting slice of history to view; of all the people who get to "see" Big Ben during their lifetimes, only a few will get to see the landmark in this state of renewal and to have memory of this rare period.

At least in London they've kept the clock face free for all to see, the tower's slim figure also helps maintain some semblance of the original monument.

I did see the porcelain figure of Wat Arun in Bangkok for the first time in similar state of repair. Now fully restored, new visitors would never be the wiser - but I know the story, I saw the repairs underway with my own eyes. It feels a bit special, like I've got an uncommon perspective of the place.

Not to mention, a reason to come back!