LAUNCESTON'S clock, which came down in February for repairs, will be up and running again on Monday, July 13 — at noon precisely.

The town council on its Facebook page expressed thanks to Nigel Bowman, director of Launceston Steam Railway, for giving his time and expertise, working on the clock, which is sited above Barclays bank, for free.

It is the second time Mr Bowman has worked on the clock, believed to have first been ereceted in the 1920s.

He estimates the original clock came down in the late 1980s. He said: "The original clock was more or less in pieces, and bits were dumped round the back of the museum.

"It was replaced by a nasty, modern, small plastic clock. Twenty years ago, the civic society hit on the idea of rebuilding it," which Mr Bowman did on their behalf.

This time around, the town council approached Mr Bowman after one of the clock movements stopped working.

Clockmakers Smith of Derby rebuilt the movements. Mr Bowman, along with fellow steam railway director Jonathan Mann, have worked to refurbish and reassemble the clock, including replacing the yellowed polycarbonate.

Lighting up the clock will be a pair of LED bulbs. Mr Bowman said that 20 years ago lighting up the clock were miniature fluorescent bulbs — then 'state of the art'.

He said of the clock: "It has seen quite a few changes in the town, and it's become very much a part of the town.

"It's a very simple thing, and I hope people will be able to maintain it and keep it going for evermore. It's infinitely repairable — never an excuse not to keep it going."

For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.