Trinidad's abandoned ‘ghost clocks’

THE EDITOR: Many older Trinidadians might remember "the Stephen's clock" on Frederick Street east-side, in front of what was then Stephens & Todd. Architects of that generation were keen to place clocks on their buildings, until it dawned on them that many clocks had stopped, or were not telling the correct time, either because there were no clock "fixers" or they were improperly installed.

Port of Spain's landscape today is littered with several elegant "ghost clocks," abandoned by owners without resources, or the interest, to replace outdated clock mechanisms:

* The four-sided John Donaldson clock tower on Wrightson Road is probably the most prominent public ghost clock, abandoned more than ten years ago, but not yet buried by UTT.

* The Oval clock (QPCC) has been on life support for two or three years; club authorities removed the hands, to avoid embarrassment during a cricket tournament. The Oval clock was installed about ten years ago, but with no access for annual maintenance.

* The seven-foot Industrial Court clock on St Vincent Street has been useless to the public ever since Panday cut the ribbon in 1997, because there is no access for clock maintenance.

There is also the UWI campus clock in St Augustine, which has been useless for most of 50 years, and ignored by students and staff, because of thoughtless installation.

MICHAEL JAY WILLIAMS

timekeeper