The clock was THE BEST part of my visits into the town centre with my family. I used to find it extremely eerie and spooky, at times it scared me too. I miss the old Newport. At the time of this video recording, I would have been just under 3 months old. My mum was really young when she had me at the age of 16. Unfortunately, my mum lost her life to a cruel illness called Motor Neurone Disease at the young age of 42. My mum is the one who makes me most proud of where I come from I wouldn't have it any other way. Sorry for the long winded comment. 😊
Created in 1991, "In the Nick of Time" had a mechanical display of skeletons, steel and angels and cost £100,000. Councillors have accepted an offer to rebuild the artwork on a roundabout at a regeneration development in Llanwern. The move is set to save taxpayers £7,000 a year but will not see the clock's mechanism restored. The 30ft (9m) tall arch-shaped clock began life representing Newport at the 1992 Garden Festival in Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, held on the site of a former steelworks. Its creator, urban architectural sculptor Andy Plant, described it as a "cross between a cuckoo clock and an espresso machine", blowing steam and parading model figures when it opened on the hour. When the exhibition closed the clock was reassembled in Newport's John Frost Square where it became a visitor attraction. But its mechanical display was only designed to last for the six months of the exhibition and repair and maintenance costs mounted over the years. The clock was packed away in 2008 ahead of a planned development of the city centre but the recession scuppered the plans leaving the structure homeless. By the time it was dismantled, the mechanisms had begun to fail and a report in November 2011 suggested it would cost £59,000 to restore the clock to full working order. The city's street scene overview and scrutiny forum has been given permission to accept an offer of £10,000 from developers St Modwen to put the clock's basic structure at its 600-acre (240 hectare) Glan Llyn development. It will be rebuilt on the roundabout at the gateway to development of 4,000 homes and a business park on part of the former Llanwern steelworks site. The forum said the moved would return the clock to "its most natural home, a steel regeneration project in Newport, after it was originally commissioned to enhance a steel-related regeneration project in Ebbw Vale". The developers will meet the cost of setting up the clock on the roundabout. In a statement, Newport council said: "Many options for the future of the clock have since been considered by the council and there has been much public support to reinstate it within the city. "This would not only return the clock to public display and secure its future, but would also provide an iconic landmark at the entrance to the city's newest community. " The council estimates it will cost £925 per year to maintain the clock at the site, compared to the £8,000 it pays each year to keep it in storage.
This video just appeared on my home page and I was really amused. Thank you for the detailed information on the clock in your comment. It was such an amazing display. I really don't know why I don't remember seeing at the Ebbw Vale Garden Festival, as my wife and I attended that event. Perhaps we saw it, but missed the operation. I used to go to College in Newport (1968-1970) and would have liked to visit Newport again and also seen the clock working in the town centre. Regrettably, as it is no longer there or working, I am somewhat disappointed.
Have awesome memories of the clock in John frost square I meet my old first there I said meet me buy the clock why the take it man love NEWPORT awesome to see again d 👍
i think i was about six, the one time i saw this in person. we were living in Cardiff at the time, but i assume my parents had decided to go into Newport for shopping or something. the clock freaked me out so much i refused to go to Newport again for several years =P
Yay! Thank you for uploading this. I first saw it more than 20 years ago on a show called Beyond Belief (not the Fact or Fiction show hosted by Jonathan Frakes) and I still remember the last lines well: "If you want to see it again, just come back in an hour. It's Beyond Belief." :)
When this clock came to newport it was second-hand. .😄 and breaking down all the time. Original site garden festive. Then John Frost Square. Then in the scrap heap on newport dock. Then dumped on a roundabout . But not working. You got 2 love Newport council.
@@seanoverend7297 I really don't like knocking councils but I have to say this is such a shame as I'm sure this could have been added into the new scheme at Friars Walk.
Llanwern ....middle of a roundabout www.google.com/maps/place/51%C2%B034'25.9%22N+2%C2%B056'14.0%22W/@51.5737417,-2.9370419,205m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d51.5738611!4d-2.9372222
A friend has challenged me to find a picture of a record shop called hitman record n Newport I have until midnight to complete this task lol can anyone help ?
