The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

7| The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,June 7,2018 theifp.ca I have a passion for old clocks. Wall clocks, mantle clocks, cathedral clocks, or even little desk clocks, I en- joy them all. Years ago, I was in- trigued to see a collection of antique cathedral clocks lined up on a plate shelf in the dining room of an Ac- ton home. They almost resembled a little village sitting up on that shelf, and I viewed them with envy. I wouldn't call myself a serious clock collector, but I have a few that are my treasures. More sentimental value than monetary, one of them is my grandmother's mantel clock. Purchased in 1942 from Barber's Jewelers in Georgetown, it was her pride and joy. Every 15 minutes the Westminster chimes in it would announce the time. As kids, it was a constant source of wonderment for my sisters and I. Nana, as we called our grandmother, would proudly tell us how her mantel clock had the same type of chimes as Big Ben in the Palace of Westmin- ster in London, England. I figured it was one of her reasons for buying it. When I was a little boy visiting her place, I re- member having my after- noon nap on the sofa in her living room, as the clock softly ticked and chimed in the quiet of the dining room across the hall. She always told me it had to strike four times (one hour) before I could get up from my nap. I'm sure she figured I'd nod off before the second chime, and many days I did. But there were some days when I'd lay and wait for the next three chimes, until it was time to get up. I imagined old Big Ben was chiming at the same time, on the other side of the ocean, in London, Eng- land. It's one of those wonder- ful, warm fuzzy little child- hood memories that sticks in my mind after all those years. After Nana died, the clock moved to Dad's house and eventually was passed down to me. And I've been the 'keep- er of Nana's mantel clock' for several decades now. A bit like people, the older a clock gets, the more cantankerous it becomes, and Nana's mantel clock is certainly no exception. I had it serviced and cleaned by a clock smith several years ago, but if anything, it became worse. Now, when I attempt to start it up, it will run for a few minutes, then the 'ticks' become slower and softer, until it stops dead. I've repeatedly restart- ed the old clock, but I even- tually end up walking away out of sheer frustra- tion. It's been one of those niggling pet peeves staring me in the face when I sit in the living room and see it on the mantel. I keep tell- ing myself I'll get to it, sooner or later. But the problem is, there aren't many clock- makers around anymore. So the clock sits silently on the mantel, a soundless reminder that I have to find someone who can clean it (as that's what I've been told is likely the prob- lem.) I remember my grand- father used to place a little cap off a jar inside the case of the clock, and put a few drops of stove oil in it, to let the fumes of the oil soak in- to the mainspring, lubri- cating it in the process. That's why I recall the faint smell of oil when I was around the clock as a kid. I will get around to it one of these days, and I look forward to seeing (and hearing it) chime, every 15 minutes. I also know when I do it, I'll hear it chime in the night, taking me back to when I was a toddler at Nan's house, trying to stay awake from my nap- keep- ing time with Big Ben, across the ocean. - Ted Brown is a freelance writer for the Independent and Free Press. He can be reached at tedbit@ hotmail.com. OPINION Just like Big Ben, across the ocean... Past memories can be relived, writes Ted Brown TED BROWN Column Anything to do with Christianity in the public school system has been re- moved by the Progressive political activists. However it appears that religions other than Chris- tianity are acceptable. Wonder why that would be? Possibly a Progressive political agenda and politi- cal correctness to enforce it? Stephen Korn OPINION Political correctness in education THEN & NOW Acton's former Town Hall, located on Willow Street, opened in 1883 and was also once the headquarters for the Fire Brigade. Deemed unsafe in 1977, the Town Hall was saved from the wrecking ball by Heritage Acton. The Acton Town Hall Centre, as it is now known, is used by local agencies and can be rented for special events. The new addition, to the right of the original structure, opened in 2013. photo/Acton Town Hall photo/Alison Walker l MORE ONLINE Check out our range of social media channels serving up content from theifp.ca Furnace Air Conditioning Gaslines Boilers Water Heaters Radiant Heating 905-877-3100 proud local dealer of Canadian made products .ca • your window & door professionals • 11 Mountainview Rd., N. Georgetown, ON L7G 4T3 905.873.0236 www.buy-wise.ca info@buy-wise.ca • awarded readers choice 27 times • Visit our showroom • Truck Accessories • Upholstery • Heavy Equipment Glass •Window Tinting 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown 905-873-1655 Wehandleall insurance work. We handle all insurance work.