AFP, London

London’s Big Ben yesterday marked the 100th anniversary of its “bongs” to ring in the New Year being broadcast live across the world. Ever since New Year’s Eve 1923 when BBC engineer A G Dryland clambered onto a roof opposite the British parliament to record the strikes, live transmission has become an annual tradition. The unmistakable sound of the “nation’s timepiece” has long occupied a special place in national life. The bongs are heard twice daily -- at 6:00pm and midnight and three times on Sunday -- on BBC radio, and at the start of the nightly News at Ten on commercial channel ITV. Such is their importance that even during recently-ended five-year restoration programme when they were largely silenced, important exceptions were made. As well as New Year, Big Ben also continued to mark Armistice Day.