Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2007 | Page 11

FOREWORD

ISLAND HISTORY

life

George III clock finds its
voice at Osborne House

Photo: Malcolm Hood tending the clock
Chimes which have been silent
for the past three years can
once again be heard ringing
out the hour from the 90ft high
clock tower at the heart of the
magnificent Osborne estate.
The three chimes – which
strike the quarter, half and
hour – of the clock made for
King George III are back in
action following repair work

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to the drum which drives
them. This work has been
paid for with funds raised
by the Island Friends of
Royal Osborne (IFRO).
Made in 1777 for ‘mad’
King George, the clock was
originally fixed in a tower in the
grounds of Kew Palace, one
of his favourite homes. It was
installed by Queen Victoria
and Prince Albert in
the tower at Osborne
House - their favourite
home - in 1849 and
is thought to have
spent some of the
intervening years at
both Buckingham
Palace and the
Brighton Pavilion.
The £2,000 repair bill
was paid with money
raised by IFRO, which
also contributed to
recent re-gilding of
the clock face. Dean
Pascall, English
Heritage Head of Visitor
Operations on the Isle
of Wight said: “Thanks
to IFRO’s continuing
support our visitors
can now see and hear
the restored clock in
its former glory.”

P1 British GP extended
to four days by
popular demand!
Sail gives way to power on the
Isle of Wight over the August
Bank Holiday weekend when
the Powerboat P1 British
Grand Prix of the Sea roars
into life. Building upon the 47
year heritage of the Cowes
Powerboat Festival, this
entertainment-packed event
has been extended to four
days, a reflection of its growing
popularity. More than 120 craft
are expected to assemble in
Cowes, including many of the
world's top racing craft and
crew, and organisers predict
spectator numbers will exceed
last years estimate of 7,000.
The racing starts in earnest
on Friday 24th August
following a day of testing,
with the highlight of the
Friday programme Round 7
of the Powerboat P1 World
Championship, the P1 British
Grand Prix of the Sea. The
race incorporates a lap of
the Island, one of the most
prestigious and demanding
challenges in powerboat racing
with a history that dates back
to 1968. Shortly after the
high-powered P 7&gBv&