COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

There's been no sign of Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom for the last few days - leaving Christmas shoppers confused



The landmark Lady Godiva clock in Coventry city centre is broken.

Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom are failing to make their usual hourly appearances due to a fault with the clock’s machinery.

The problem began last week when Lady Godiva got stuck part of the way along her ride.

That left Peeping Tom leaning out of his window with nothing to peep at.

This week when the bell tolls the hour on the clock on the front of Broadgate House, Broadgate, Coventry city centre there is no sign of either of Coventry’s most famous residents.

Visitors to the first few days of the city centre Christmas market who stopped to glance up at the clock on the hour saw the doors firmly closed.

Coventry City Council, which owns Broadgate House, is responsible for maintaining the clock.

A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said: “The clock fault has been reported. The repair team is due to be there at 9.30am tomorrow as they come from a specialist company.

“They will investigate the fault and hopefully fix it then.”

Coventry City Council, which owns Broadgate House, is responsible for maintaining the clock.

A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said: “The clock fault has been reported. The repair team is due to be there at 9.30am tomorrow as they come from a specialist company.

“They will investigate the fault and hopefully fix it then.”

The clock dates back to the 1870s when it was designed and made by Leicester born clock maker Edward Loseby. It was installed in the city’s market hall.

But in 1942 when the market hall had to be demolished the clock was taken down.

The workings were reinstalled in Broadgate House in 1953 shortly after it was built. They were attached to a new clock face.

The figures and the openings through which they appear were added later in the 1950s.

The mechanism was made by students at the former Tile Hill College in Coventry, now part of City College Coventry.

The clock tells the 1,000 year old story of Lady Godiva’s naked ride through Coventry to protest against a tax rise by her husband Lord Leofric. In the story everyone in the city except Tom turned away to spare Lady Godiva embarrassment.

Tom was struck blind as a punishment.

There is limited historical evidence that the naked ride ever took place.

And the figures on the clock are sometimes accused of being kitsch.

But both the naked ride story and the clock have a special place in the hearts of Coventry people.

Why is the Lady Godiva clock still broken?

Coventry's Lady Godiva clock is still broken - nearly FOUR months after a clock maker first visited for repairs.

The clock doors are open but Lady Godiva and her white horse stay inside instead of making their usual hourly appearances.

Up above Peeping Tom is stuck half-peeping from his window.

He is supposed to peep out briefly as Lady Godiva passes and then disappears.

The novelty giant clock, on the wall of the post-war listed Broadgate House in the city centre, stopped working properly in late November.

The clock face high up on the building is still keeping the correct time.

Because the novelty clock is one of a kind bosses at Coventry City Council, who are responsible for maintenance, asked 170-year-old clock firm Smiths of Derby to send an expert to do the repair.

A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said: “The parts to mend the Lady Godiva Clock have been sourced from a specialist firm in Derby.

“Some of the work has already been carried out. But more work is needed and an engineer is coming out again in the near future.

“Hopefully the clock will be back working again soon.”

The clock face and workings date back to the 1870s and originally stood in Coventry’s market hall. They were moved to Broadgate House shortly after it was built in 1953.

The figures were created by artist Trevor Tennant and the workings made by talented local college students and their lecturers.

Why is Coventry's Lady Godiva clock STILL broken after nearly seven months?

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/c ... l-13144436