Cape Town - Simon’s Town’s beloved 200-year-old clock located at the Naval Museum is chiming again after more than a year of silence, thanks to three volunteers who banded together to repair it.
Treasurer of the Simon’s Town Historical Society, Roy Burnie, together with retired Warrant Officer in charge of the Naval Museum, Harry Croome, and clockmaker, Stewart Neville, took the initiative to get the clock going again after a spring snapped.
Croome, 65, said the clock was attended to for years by former society chairperson, David Erickson, who moved back to England and passed away last year.
“David was the godfather who got the clock going through simple maintenance work or whining all on his own as a volunteer.
“I assisted him to get up the stairs where the clock was and also got an interest to learn. When David got sick, he could no longer go up and down the steps because they are very steep,” said Croome.
“Roy came to me and said that we should make an effort to get the clock going again. We sourced a local company in Stellenbosch who does high-pressure water cutting. They made a perfect replica, we put the parts together and got the clock going again.
“We are astonished at the fact that we were able to get the clock going again. It is a very prominent landmark in Simon’s Town, you can’t miss it. It was a time-keeping piece for the dock workers in particular.”
Croome said he now continued to attend to the clock every Friday.
Burnie, 78, added: “When David became ill, the clock stopped. I phoned him and asked what is wrong with the clock and he said that he is too ill to get up to the clock. So we sat down and he gave me a bit of background and things to look at and, shortly after, he died.
“I am passionate about history. The clock has been going for over 200 years. Today it keeps perfect time for a clock of that age.”
Museum curator, Cathy Salter, said: “We are very grateful that Harry Croome and Roy Burnie did so much in their spare time and out of their own free will to volunteer to repair the clock because it is a significant part of our history and we are happy it is working again,” said Salter.
marsha.dean@inl.co.za