“It’s just hacks everywhere,” a photographer sighs, jamming his lens through a gap in Parliament’s railings to try and get a closer look.
New Palace Yard, Parliament’s courtyard directly below Big Ben, is filling with amused-looking journalists, waiting for the MPs who have promised to hold a “silent vigil”, heads bowed, to mark Big Ben’s final chime before four years of silence while the tower’s repaired.
About four of them turn up. Two by accident.
It’s five minutes to twelve. Tourists are gathering outside Westminster Tube, as tourists do best. A bigger crowd fills Parliament Square. More people than expected congregate outside, even if it’s the opposite within the Palace. The world and his phone are gazing up at the sad, resigned clock face.
Crowd outside Westminster tube and on Parliament Sq to listen to Big Ben’s last bong. Members’ courtyard in Parliament doesn’t quit match up pic.twitter.com/50VrK9LcMb
— Anoosh Chakelian (@Anoosh_C) August 21, 2017
“It’s quite controversial, isn’t it?” one elderly woman in an anorak asks her friend. They shrug and walk off. “Do you know what is this?” an Italian tourist politely asks the tiny press pack, gesturing to the courtyard. No one replies. It’s a good question.
“This is the last time,” says another tourist, elated, Instagram-poised.
“DING DONG DING DONG,” the old bell begins.
Heads down, phones up.
Smartphones aloft for bong vigil outside and inside Parliament. #BigBenBongs pic.twitter.com/uwAWQhZZfj
— Anoosh Chakelian (@Anoosh_C) August 21, 2017
It finishes the on-the-hour tune for the last time, and then gives its much-anticipated resignation statement:
“BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG.”
Applause, cheers, and even some tears.
Stephen Pound quotes old saying that “no one is as conservative as a Labour MP” as he watches Big Ben chime. Not sure what is real here. pic.twitter.com/SyvJe3BdUB
— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) August 21, 2017
But while the silly-seasoned journalists snigger, the crowd is enthusiastic.
“It’s quite emotional,” says David Lear, a 52-year-old carer from Essex, who came up to London today with his work and waited 45 minutes beneath Big Ben to hear it chime.
He feels “very, very sad” that the bell is falling silent, and finds the MPs’ vigil respectful. “I think lots of people feel quite strongly about it. I don’t know why they’re doing it. During the war it carries on, and then they turn it off for a health and safety reason.”
“I don’t know why they can’t have some speakers half way down it and just play the chime,” he adds. “So many tourists come especially to listen to the chime, they gather round here, getting ready for it to go – and they’re going to switch it off. It’s crazy.”
Indeed, most of the surrounding crowd appears to be made up of tourists. “I think that it was gorgeous, because I’ve never heard him,” smiles Cora, an 18-year-old German tourist. “It was a great experience.”
An Australian couple in their sixties called Jane and Gary are visiting London for a week. “It was like a religious ceremony, everybody went quiet,” laughs Gary. “I hope they don’t forget where they put the keys to start it again in four years’ time.”
“When we first got here, the first thing we did was come to see it,” adds Jane, who is also positive about the MPs who turned up to watch. “I think it’s good they showed a bit of respect. Because they don’t usually show much respect, do they?”
And, as MPs mouthing off about Big Ben are challenged on their contrasting reactions to Grenfell, that is precisely the problem with an otherwise innocent show of sentimentality.
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