Clock in Arndale
 

Hey, its just said on the radio that they are gonna get rid of the clock in the Arndale (which does not open anymore!) and replace with tables and chairs for an open style cafe. Nice one! I never did like the clock, it even scared me!!! The "Father Time" clock was designed by Andy Plant, after he won BB2's "Great Egg Race" in 1986. The sculpture centres around a globe made from a welded steel frame covered with a beaten aluminium skin, the land masses standing out in relief. On the top of the world sits a sleeping Father Time on a bicycle. Approaching the quarter hour, a little schoolboy slowly creeps (er, crept, past tense!!) out from the top of the world, aiming to swipe Father Time's alarm clock. But the old man stirs and the schoolboy retreats (BET YOU NEVER KNEW THAT, EH?). Then, on the hour, Father Time wakes to his ringing alarm, and sets off on his bike. As he begins, he rises up into the Arndale Centre's feature dome on a cloud followed by two flying cherubs. At the same time, the world begins to spin and opens to reveal a fun band playing "Rock Around the Clock" on drums, accordion, maraccas and tambourine (FUN BAND!! It used to scare the daylights out of me!!!) The performance over, the world closes and Father Time returns to the top of the globe and his slumbers.
See, I am full of useless information! ;)

Clock going....
 

What's going to happen to the clock? Is it going to be offered for sale - so someone can at least try and fix it and give it a good home? Or is it going to be re-located somewhere? Or is it going to go out by the usual Accy method, i.e. demolition?

And whats all this about a cafe? Lets hope it's not a Starbucks or a Costa Coffee........like MacDonalds and the AIDS virus, you can't stop 'em from spreading. I fear it will be. Still, no doubt it will compliment the new witherspoons pub, so all the happy tartan-clad drinkers can stagger out their smoke-free pub, crawl through the Arndale Centre and with their hard-earned savings from the pub spend 3 quid on a double expresso-mocco, all before 3 o'oclock on a saturday afternoon.

Pass the de-cafe, someone.

I cant see why they cannot leave the clock were it is,does'nt take up much room does it? but saying that i always thought it was a monstrosity myself.

give over - the clock is the most interesting place in the arndale, it gives us something look at and is a talking point. It certainly was working about 2-3 months ago when I showed it to my Russian girlfriend who thought it was strange but at least slightly more interesting than a clothes shop. To fix it would certainly not be difficult, that is a poor excuse. Maybe they switched it off after they recieved an offer from an evil company like starbucks for a cafe in the middle, they certainly will make more money from that than just having the clock there... So there you go, the Arndale Clock conspiracy, is it really not working or is it just switched off?

Talks are being held with Hyndburn First, regarding a new home for the clock, but nothing has been finalised. This is according to this weeks Observer, they are putting out an appeal for someone to take the monstrous thing off their hands. Never been fond of the clock, but don't think it should be scrapped, as I'm sure plenty of people like it. As for the coffee place, I can't see it being a Starbucks etc. Will probably be coffee, sandwich and a cake for a quid!!!! Which should fit in quite nicely round these parts..:coffeecup

hmmm.... a new home for the clock, where could it go apart from there? Are there any other centre pieces for accrington? Where will the young uns meet, as that was the latest "under the clock" meeting place. Hows about waterproofing it and sticking it up the top of the coppice, it'd sure be better than the UFO!

This is in the OBSERVER
The death knell has sounded for the unique Father Time clock in Accrington's Arndale Centre.
The extravagant centrepiece which at one time drew in big crowds,is set to be pulled down to make way for an open-plan cafe in the Arndale's main gathering point.
The change set to be giventhe green light by planning chiefs today will mark the end of an era.
The colourful clock which opens into a flower revealing fairyland creatures playing Rock Around the clock has been in place since the centre's opening in 1987.
However it has not been working since October due to problems with the three motors.

Going back a few weeks there were posts made on here about the clock on the bus station, and how people had memories of the clock for meeting etc.
Although the the clock in the arndale may not be an impressive masterpiece, everybody knows it, and for many of the younger generation in accy it is a landmark in the town. People may say that it is a waste of space but to me and many others it will be a sad occasion if/when it is removed, and lets be honest if it disregarded area of accy why did the subject get posted here and why is it getting a resonse!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry but the excuse about it failing does not wash over on me. I am an engineer and I work on machines far more complicated than that clock. A 1 day call out is all it would take to repair it(+new parts delivery) - I would quite happily volunteer my services for free to repair it, if it meant it would stay.

I agree! the clock is part of accy and i would offer free services ( as a Qualified Mechanical Engineer) if it meant the clock could live on

quote from the observer i ant typing it all in so there
We appeal to anyone who could provide a home for it to come forward.
We are in talks with Hyndburn FIRST about possibly putting it in the Market Hall
but nothing is finalised.
We would be very interested to hear people's ideas about where it could go .
I would like to ensure it is still on public display.

anyway, according to the observer the plannig chiefs will have already given the go-ahead. Did we all only find out about this today, nice bit of notice if we did. What will be next? There isn't much left that they could rip down - perhaps they might want to build a new housing estate on the coppice, it wont take much to pull it down and level it. I think wetherspoons should hold out, it wont be long before the market hall will be available, or even the town hall!

As an engineer that spends most of his working life relocating machinery, i am 99% sure that if the clock is broken, then it would cost far more to relocate than repare it.
And if there is a contract available for moving it then i will put my name on the list for the job, that way i may be able to retire at 30 at the tax payers expence like many other spongers do!!!!

HEAD LINE IN THE OBSERVER
FUTURISTIC BUS STATION ON CAR PARK
Plans to build a state-of the-art indoor bus station in Accrington have been unveiled
to be build on land borderd by Union street Edger Street and School street

good subject Mick but should this not have been a new thread??????

yep but roy asked what els they could pull down

Good point mick but where will i park my car!!!!

they are thinking about extending the Arndale car park

This can't happen! some of us are stuck with vehicles that don't fit in the arndale car park. The car park in union street is my only real choice if I want to stay in the centre for longer than 30 mins.

Clock in Arndale.
 

Perhaps we should ask the Observer if they will start a campaign to at least keep the clock cos ... we have two volunteers who say they will have a go at repairing, eh? ;) I think there is plenty of room for the clock just outside the entrance to the Arndale. There is a clock there, which never seems to work. I say LETS RELOCATE THE CLOCK.

Remember all the fuss about the Bee outside the Bees Knees. But maybe no-one actually did anything. That ended up being taken away, never to be heard of again, although I have reason to believe it's had been "rescued" by Ossy Mills.

Better keep my on e bay then.Could be a cheap clock going eh? Shame though

Just been in the Arndale and the clock has gone
don't know where ?

Clock gone? Where?
 

.......It's probably in the skip by the Sacred Heart Church.

The clock
 

Gone? Gone where, as you say Tealeaf. I find that very sneaky!! It was only last week they were talking about it. Mm, something fishy here I reckon.
How can we find out?

Boycott The Arndale!
 

This is truly appalling........By my estimate, at this rate of destruction & demolition there'll be nowt left of Accy in 6 months time. If this was the councils decision then it really is disgraceful; like it or hate it that clock was one of the landmarks of Accy. (Another 10 years & it would end up listed).

However, is the Arndale not privately owned? In that case lets make our feelings felt by boycotting the place.....the shop tennants would soon make their feelings known. Apart from the Starbucks thats coming in, that is.

Boycott The Arndale!
 

This is truly appalling........By my estimate, at this rate of destruction & demolition there'll be nowt left of Accy in 6 months time. If this was the councils decision then it really is disgraceful; like it or hate it that clock was one of the landmarks of Accy. (Another 10 years & it would end up listed).

However, is the Arndale not privately owned? In that case lets make our feelings felt by boycotting the place.....the shop tennants would soon make their feelings known. Apart from the Starbucks thats coming in, that is.

OMG! the Bee's gone?????? when did this happen? I won't recognise the place when I come back

We should all sign a petition and complain

Where's Our Clock?
 

You're right! We should all sign a petition. Anybody up for it?

This is the site belonging to Andy Plant, the designer of the clock
http://www.andyplant.co.uk/html/acc.htm

Maybe I will ask him, by email, does he know where it is.
Funny isn't it, how you miss something when its gone. It wasn't the best looking clock I have ever seen, but .. it became part of our way of life and its outrageous that "faceless people" can make decisions which affect us. Who are these people I wonder? Do they live here? Do they shop here? I think not.

Clock gone
 

You're right Atarah. The clock was a specially commissioned piece of work for that spot in the Arndale. If you look at the artists other clocks, they are all specific to a building......you can't pick them up like a picture & hang them on a wall.
Back to the cafe though........do you think that's going to be a local company that opens up on the clock site? I doubt it....I'm more than ever convinced now that we're going to get a Starbucks or similar......maybe a Prete a Manger?

The Clock - Its's Safe!!!!
 

Hi, just found out the clock has been safely dismanted by its designer, Mr Andy Plant and is stored away in the Arndale!! So at least its not in the Sacred Heart skip Tealeaf! ;) Andy has been in talks with the Arndale Centre for months and realised its days were numbered there, so he decided to take it down to help to preserve it.

There is "talk" of refurbishing the indoor Market Hall - maybe a place for it could be found there?

It obviously needs to be somewhere safe, in premises which are safely locked at night times.

Supersleuth here!
 

Well, I must say I am surprised! I thought many of you Accywebbers would be Observerites and might have already read the "Letters to the Editor" page. Seen the article at the very top of the page, re the clock?
Look again at the photograph of the clock ..........

Perhaps they have also moved that one -- but I wonder how they came to show a photo of "wrong" clock.

Been in the Arndale this afternoon. There is now a fenced off area incorporating where the clock used to be. They have put in a sink unit and a small piece of paper on the fencing says cafe centro.

"Cafe Centro"..........what sort of name is that? It sounds like an Amsterdam "Coffee" bar.........Morrocan, Lebanese & Skunk a speciality.....is this what the Accy Arndale is coming to?

some pics of the cafe
 

here are some pics of the cafe

Is there a price list up yet? if so, how much is a jam butty?

Why have they made a space for a cafe by removing the clock when there are several empty units around the centre of Accy that would have been suitable? Not to worry - I'm sure someone will think to open a card shop in one of the empty units!

new cafe
 

Dunno why they haven't used up any other available spaces - but who are we, mere mortals, to make decisions concerning our own town "Ours is not to reason why".

After seeing the cafe being errected all i can say is, by the time that the place is fully fitted out there wont be much room inside.so it will be a quick 5 minutes for a brew and jambutty before you are chucked out to make room for the next customer.

Will everything be on sale for a pound, then?

Re: Clock in Arndale
 

Hi
The aforementioned cafe is now doing a roaring trade[whilst my old Our Price store remains sadly empty!]can't imagine it's massively comfortable having a coffee there as the wind whistles thru the Centre like a hurricane all the time!Maybe we should get a review of it on here;hang on to your "croissant"!I am reliably informes it is run bt the same people who have the Country Larder in the very same centre;talk abut a monopoly on mocca chocca chinos!!
{my personal preference is "Soup" on Warner Street!** :coffeecup :coffeecup

Re: Clock in Arndale
 

Shouldn't this post be in the jokes page? :D
Seriously, count me in also. You know how enthusiastic i am with a big hammer wingy. :da: