Woman feels it’s time for clock restoration

The three-faced clock, located upon the tower on the kiosk by Splashpoint, was erected in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain – a plaque underneath the clock reads ‘Festival of Britain l951 ... given by the schoolchildren’.

Teachers at Heene Elementary School encouraged students to contribute their pennies towards a project that resulted in the unveiling of the clock.

Helen Solomon, of Salisbury Road, Worthing, was one of the pupils involved.

She said: “I can still recall how proud and important we felt when our clock was erected and our gift ceremoniously acknowledged by the mayor. It was kind of a year when we felt we should celebrate the war being over. It was to cheer everybody up.”

However, the clock’s heyday has long since past. For years its hands had been stuck at 3.20 and the letters on the plaque have been severely weathered.

Yet there is renewed hope it can be made relevant again. While walking past the clock Helen noticed the hands had moved to 5.45. She waited for a few minutes and watched as the minute hand made its way to the ten.

Helen spoke with the manager of Splashpoint who suggested the power supply in the building had been switched on by the business based there.

Helen said she would like to see the clock, which she says is currently running around 50 minutes too fast, set at the correct time and the plaque restored.