The Curious Case of Britain's Speaking Clock

TL;DR

The speaking clock, a service to find out the exact time, has a long history in the UK and is still called around 30 million times per year.

Transcript

The speaking clock is an idea that goes all the way back to 1933, when citizens of Paris were the recipients of the first such service. Since then, dozens of countries have implemented a similar system that the public can call to find out the exact time. In the UK, the service has a long and storied history and even today in the age of near ubiquit... Read More

Key Insights

• 🙊 The speaking clock service was implemented in numerous countries since its inception in Paris in 1933.
• 🙊 The design and technology of the speaking clock machine evolved over the years, with the first upgrade occurring in 1963.

Questions & Answers

Q: When was the speaking clock service introduced in the UK?

The speaking clock service was officially introduced on July 24, 1936.

Q: How was the voice for the speaking clock chosen?

The voice was chosen through a competition, with Ethel Jane Cain winning and becoming the first voice of the speaking clock.

Q: How accurate is the speaking clock?

While it is claimed to be accurate to within one five thousandth of a second, the National Physics Laboratory disputes this and states that it is accurate within about one-tenth of a second.

Q: How many calls does the speaking clock receive each year?

The speaking clock receives around 30 million calls per year, with the highest number of calls on specific days such as daylight saving time changes and New Year's Eve.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaking clock service was introduced in the UK in 1936, replacing the need for people to call the exchange operator for the time.

• Ethel Jane Cain won a competition to become the voice of the speaking clock and recorded a script of time announcements.

• Four permanent voices have served as the speaking clock, with Sara Mendes da Costa currently holding the role.