Politics

Old Joe, the clock which literally towers over the University of Birmingham, has been rather ill lately.

The tower, which is the tallest free standing clock tower in the world was named after arguably Birmingham's most successful political export ever, Joseph Chamberlain, who was also one of the founders of the University.

Today, at 8.15am it quite happily beamed out 9.35 to all those within about a square mile who cared to look up. And this isn't the first time in recent weeks.

It strikes me that a clock that is unreliable is at best as good as no clock at all, if one chooses to ignore it in the knowledge that it is indeed unreliable. But at worst, without this knowledge, the unreliable clock will cause problems: missed trains, late lectures etc.

But this isn't your watch, this is the most prominent landmark in South Birmingham; the University should sort it out.