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| Tinker Bell voices speaking clock | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| The voice of the speaking clock is to be replaced with an actress in the role of Tinker Bell from Peter Pan. | |
| Callers who dial 123 for the BT service will hear the new voice for three months starting at 0100 GMT on Sunday. | Callers who dial 123 for the BT service will hear the new voice for three months starting at 0100 GMT on Sunday. |
| The change marks the end of British Summer Time and is part of a deal with Disney to promote a film of the 1904 JM Barrie play due out on 10 November. | The change marks the end of British Summer Time and is part of a deal with Disney to promote a film of the 1904 JM Barrie play due out on 10 November. |
| The deal will temporarily replace Sara Mendes da Costa with Mae Whitman who also plays Tinker Bell in the film. | |
| David Rooney, curator of time keeping at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the BBC: "For me as a historian, the most important thing is that it's going to be just as accurate as it ever was. | David Rooney, curator of time keeping at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the BBC: "For me as a historian, the most important thing is that it's going to be just as accurate as it ever was. |
| "It's all about the accuracy. We take a long view of these things - the voices come and go, what endures is the accuracy and Greenwich Mean Time." | "It's all about the accuracy. We take a long view of these things - the voices come and go, what endures is the accuracy and Greenwich Mean Time." |
| He noted other experiments with the speaking clock's voice, including Lenny Henry in 2003, and a schoolgirl called Alicia Rowlands in the same year. | He noted other experiments with the speaking clock's voice, including Lenny Henry in 2003, and a schoolgirl called Alicia Rowlands in the same year. |
| Mr Rooney said: "In the first year, 1936, when it was only available to London, it had 20 million calls, even now it gets 80 million calls a year... we're familiar with it, it's part of our culture and heritage." | Mr Rooney said: "In the first year, 1936, when it was only available to London, it had 20 million calls, even now it gets 80 million calls a year... we're familiar with it, it's part of our culture and heritage." |
| The speaking clock is 72 years old and has had four permanent voices since 1936, including the current time-teller, Sara Mendes da Costa, who won the role in a competition. | The speaking clock is 72 years old and has had four permanent voices since 1936, including the current time-teller, Sara Mendes da Costa, who won the role in a competition. |
| To comment on this story, go to BBC Radio Four PM's blog here: PM Blog | To comment on this story, go to BBC Radio Four PM's blog here: PM Blog |