Fixing the Portobello Police Station Clock
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A community volunteer climbs into a dusty 19th-century clock tower to fix the Portobello Police Station clock.
The author joined a friend to adjust the clock in the old Portobello Police Station tower, recently bought by community group Action Porty. The building was built in 1877, later became a library and police station, and was acquired through the Scottish Land Fund. The original clock mechanism remains, modified with electric motors and a control box for the chime. Volunteers were restoring the interior. The author climbed a steep ladder to reach the clock faces but could not figure out how to set the time.
What commenters are saying
Commenters shared experiences with airport security swabs triggered by dust or glycerine, explaining ion mobility spectrometry's false-positive rate. One user noted the LED flash pattern (long-long-short-short-short) is Morse for 7, or possibly binary for 24. Others debated battery age: the backup battery appears dated 2009 or 2023. A YouTube channel about bell-tower repairs was recommended. Some questioned why the new owners didn't contact previous ones for clock instructions.