Hidden life of Great George revealed

Great George, the University of Bristol’s nine-and-a-half-ton bell, will be revealing more about its hidden life in the tower of the Wills Memorial Building as it becomes the latest addition to the city’s Hello Lamp Post! project.
Great George, the University of Bristol’s nine-and-a-half-ton bell, will be revealing more about its hidden life in the tower of the Wills Memorial Building as it becomes the latest addition to the city’s Hello Lamp Post! project.

The project was designed to help local residents rediscover their local environment by inviting people to tune in and communicate through street furniture and inanimate objects across the city, including lamp posts, bus stops, post boxes and now the country’s sixth largest bell.

You can find out more about Great George’s hidden life by texting 'Hello Great George #1924' to the phone number 0117 325 9898.

 

Further information

Great George

Great George was cast in 1924 and is reputed to be the finest E-flat bell in Europe and one of the deepest-toned bells in the world. It is the sixth-largest bell in England and is believed to be the third-largest that can be rung by hand. It is 6ft 9” high and 8ft 4” in diameter and can be heard 12 miles away. It is named after George V, George Oatley and George Wills. You can follow Great George on Twitter @GreatGeorgeWMB

Playable City

The Hello Lamp Post! project was funded by a £30,000 Playable City Award that seeks to create an original, future-facing work, which uses creative technology to explore the theme of the playable city. Hello Lamp Post! seeks to make objects, using existing city infrastructure to make an open, hospitable and playful experience which encourages people to notice and interact with what is around them.