Llanddulas - Clock Tower Renovation
A PENSIONER who's wound his village clock for 21 years is being replaced - by automatic winding equipment.
Every Friday, Haydn Williams, 71, would call in to Llanddulas village hall on his way to work.
He'd go into the gents' toilet, climb a 15ft ladder, squeeze through a trap door, and step into the clock tower. Then he'd turn a handle to wind up the clock which dates from 1914, four years after the village hall was built.
The clock has kept perfect time for 95 years. Mr Williams' winding would last seven days and four hours each time.
But now Llanddulas Village Hall Association says it's embracing modern technology and having to comply with health and safety regulations.
Haydn says: "It is sad. But if anything happened to me, they'd have a job to get anyone else to wind it up." Retired HGV driver Haydn, of Old Colwyn, worked for 30 years at Hotpoint in Llandudno Junction then Kinmel Bay. "I would call in before a 6.30pm night shift to wind up the clock on the way to work. You wind a big handle, like starting up an old car - its quite hard work.
Ann Kennedy, secretary of the Village Hall Association, said: "Haydn has done a wonderful job. But he's had a hip replacement and time is moving on. We are putting in a triple recharging mechanism."