Time ball

When jewellers Prestons Ltd had new premises built in 1913 at 2 Deansgate, Bolton, the frontage was in a buff glazed terracotta and incorporated a clock tower topped with a time ball. Restored in 2008, it was one of only two still operating in England, the other one is at Greenwich. In 2011 when I took this photo, each day the ball was raised at 12.55pm and fell at precisely 1.00pm on receipt of an electronic signal from Greenwich. Prestons closed the shop in 2016 and I am unsure whether the time ball still operates.