The Gurney Clock, Norwich

Martin Burgess's Gurney Clock was given to the people of Norwich by Barclays Bank to mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of Barclays by the Gurney family in Norwich in 1775. The clock is in the shape of a golden lion automaton in a golden castle (the lion and castle are two of the heraldic symbols of Norwich) and has a weight-driven precision clock movement based closely on one designed in the 1740s by John Harrison. On the hour, bronze balls are taken by the lion and travel down a track to a set of scales (a symbol of Barclays Bank) and on into the castle. The clock took eleven years to build and was housed in a public park, but by 1992 it had been badly vandalised. After a long campaign by the Norwich Society, it was then restored and installed in the Castle Mall, Norwich, inside a massive glass and metal case, where it is perfectly illuminated using a bespoke fibre optic lighting system created by Absolute Action.

Paul Holmes of GEI Autowrappers believes the low maintenance aspect and no heat build-up were deciding factors in choosing the fibre optic system. "Only two lamps are used which will only need changing every two years".

Alan Wright of Norwich City Council was impressed with the lighting effects: "Absolute Action were extremely helpful and supportive throughout the project. The clock is illuminated but not floodlit, which gives a glittering effect, highlighting the mechanics of the clock, which makes it very special."