Thomas Cooke is a renowned optician-cum-machinist, whose many and varied creations are still in use in countries all over the world, some 150 years after his death.
One of his instruments, dubbed the Thomas Cooke Clock, resides in the tower of All Saints' Church, who are the fortunate owners of one of only two such clocks in the South of England.
Installed in the days before Health & Safety, the access to the winding mechanism was considered dangerous by the church, and so auto-winding mechanisms were considered as an alternative. Unfortunately, the pre-work inspection of the clock mechanism revealed generations of neglect, with no-one able to recall any maintenance on the clock in living memory.
With a feeling that it was high time the clock was given the love it deserves, the church, with help from Valencia Communities Fund, has given the mechanism and clock face a complete overhaul, rejuvenating a classic example of Great British workmanship.
