Interesting Facts

Spain is seriously considering moving back a time zone, which would align it with the UK and Portugal. (Currently Spain's clocks run on CET (Central European Time), the same as Germany, France etc., but some people are arguing that Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) (and its summer equivalent, BST) would suit Spain's daylight hours. According to said Ignacio Buqueras, president of the National Commission for the Rationalization of Spanish Time, Spain needs to create new habits to allow them to improve their productivity and at the same time allow them to ensure a work-life balance. Interestingly CET was only adopted by Spain, along with other European countries, during the Second World war when Nazi-occupied France switched to German time, Spain followed suit. However, while countries such as the UK and Portugal moved their clocks back again after the war, Spain's dictator Francisco Franco decided not to.  I think that's as good a reason to change as any.) Sources: ...

Right up to the Industrial Revolution, before alarm clocks became affordable, someone was employed to wake people up. (The man or woman used a short, heavy stick to knock on the clients' doors or a long and light stick, often made of bamboo, to reach windows on higher floors and would not leave a client's window until they were assured they were awake. Obviously the job no longer exists, but the fabulous job title was "knocker upper". Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, includes a brief description of a knocker-upper. The phrase "knocked up" entered British slang as a term for "being awakened", but don't use it, as it now takes the American meaning "to be made pregnant".) Source

The world’s most famous clock, The Tower Clock, which houses Big Ben, checks its time with the BT Speaking Clock. (Many other major organisations have permanent feeds of the clock from BT into their private internal phone systems so employees can check the time without making an outside call. Just as well Big Ben doesn't speak though. "Bong bong b-o-n-g!!!!!")

There have only ever been three voices for the BT Speaking Clock, apart from a two week period in March 2003 when Lenny Henry, a famous British comedian, did a special version of the Speaking Clock in aid of Comic Relief. (A London telephonist, Jane Cain was the first voice in 1936 and lasted until 1963. She was followed by a Miss Pat Simmons, a supervisor in a London telephone exchange, she was the second voice from 1963 until 1984. The present voice, belongs to Brian Cobby (73) who was an assistant supervisor at Withdean exchange in Brighton. He became the first male voice at 11 am on 2nd April 1985. Brian Cobby, an actor by profession before he joined BT, was selected from 12 finalists in BT’s Golden Voice competition, on 5th December 1984.) !Note - The speaking clock is a telephone service provided by British Telecom where you dial 123 to hear a recording of the time, but be warned, you will be charged 31p for doing so.

Originally the accuracy of the BT Speaking Clock was one-tenth of a second, it is now correct to within five thousandths of a second! (Does it really matter when you are setting your alarm clock?)