Famously known as York's "kitchen clock", Terry’s has always been the timepiece to set a watch by. But today, just for a spell, it might all appear a little haywire.
As the clocks go back tonight, a team of specialist volunteers in York are charged with the city's timekeeping.
One way is to press pause for an hour, for an electric clock such as Terry's which once looked out over the world-famous chocolate factory. The other is to simply fast-forward - rapidly winding the hands 11 hours into the future.
John Cossins, of the York Clock Group, is to change time this afternoon before the clocks fall back into winter tonight.
John Cossins, a dedicated volunteer with the York Clock Group, is one of eight individuals entrusted with maintaining York's clocks. Among them is the iconic Terry's Clock Tower, a Grade II-listed landmark standing 41 meters (135 feet) tall. With its four 8-foot dials, the tower has been a fixture of York for nearly a century. Built by JD Davies and LE Wade, the clock was added as the final touch to the tower, which has recently undergone redevelopment by HBD and PJ Livesey. The clock itself was carefully reinstalled by specialist clockmaker Smith of Derby. As part of his duties, John adjusts the clocks twice a year for Daylight Saving Time (DST), on the last Sundays of March and October. This bi-annual task ensures that the clock keeps accurate time, including marking the end of British Summer Time (BST) in October. Picture: James Hardisty.
"There's always been timekeepers, now ours is a more nostalgic role," he said. "Maybe Terry's is an exception to that - it is a little bit iconic in the city.
"It is an old concept, to set the clock. If we go back 100 years, that's how people told the time. And this clock is so well known. It's the only four-dial tower that York has now. None of the others have four faces."
The magnificent Terry's factory, built from 1924, was once one of the world's most famous chocolate works until it closed in 2005.
Even when the rest of the factory site was converted, with houses, offices and a restaurant, this small space was kept just as it was. Rough walls, the 8ft clock faces, on the top of the tenth tower floor.
John Cossins, a dedicated volunteer with the York Clock Group, is one of eight individuals entrusted with maintaining York's clocks. Among them is the iconic Terry's Clock Tower, a Grade II-listed landmark standing 41 meters (135 feet) tall. With its four 8-foot dials, the tower has been a fixture of York for nearly a century. Built by JD Davies and LE Wade, the clock was added as the final touch to the tower, which has recently undergone redevelopment by HBD and PJ Livesey. The clock itself was carefully reinstalled by specialist clockmaker Smith of Derby. As part of his duties, John adjusts the clocks twice a year for Daylight Saving Time (DST), on the last Sundays of March and October. This bi-annual task ensures that the clock keeps accurate time, including marking the end of British Summer Time (BST) in October. Picture: James Hardisty.
This is an electric clock, controlled by a central master. And last year, after £60,000 of works under The PJ Livesey Group - and with some deft detective work to search out pieces from its original era - its famous hands moved to mark time once more.
Today, it will mark an afternoon change rather than 2am tomorrow morning.
"I leave it as late as possible, but it takes a little bit longer in Winter," said Mr Cossins. "The easiest way is to stop it for an hour, or advance it for 11 hours.... Then we lose count and have to start again. There can be a bit of back and forth."
Decades ago it had been a clockmaker called Geoffrey Newey who corralled the city's time. When he died in 2015, at the age of 87, a team of eight volunteers stepped in to help under the name of York Clock Group. Now, they care for 11 clocks in the city.
John Cossins, a dedicated volunteer with the York Clock Group, is one of eight individuals entrusted with maintaining York's clocks. Picture: James Hardisty.
Mr Cossins helps with Terry's. The clocktower is owned by Henry Boot Developments. Stepping in, said Mr Cossins, is like stepping into a world from a century ago.
With a timepiece such as this, driven by a pendulum, it can need adjustments. The weather can cause disarray. Exposed, the clock hands can lose 15 minutes in a sudden gust on a windy day. The electrical engineer, who used to be a radio engineer, has set up alerts.
"Every hour it sends me a little signal," he said. "I can tell if it's wrong. Because people like it so much, and they do regard it as the 'standard' for time, I like to make sure it's right."
