LONDON -- Most people don't have a public way to draw attention to problems with their employer. It's a different story when when you're the person in control of a city's clocks.
Time stood still across Swansea after the city's official horologist retired last week, stopping all the public clocks before he left.
72-year-old David Mitchell had been looking after the city's 16 historic clocks for some 30 years but after he learned no one would be taking over the role after he retired, he decided to take action, leaving all council-operated clocks across the city with the hands pointing to 12.
"I didn't want the weights falling over on the pulley systems" EVERY Swansea clock set to 12:00 by retired councilman pic.twitter.com/nNEQ0Iyw5M— Owen Williams (@OwsWills) March 3, 2015
Officials have argued that the buildings where the historic clocks are located should be responsible for the clocks, not the city.
"I have been doing it since 1985 until I finished last week with no-one to replace me," Mr Mitchell said. "But I stopped the clocks on safety grounds on Saturday."
"I didn't want the weights falling over on the pulley systems. Swansea has stopped."
However things were looking up for Swansea's clocks after the city issued a statement late Tuesday saying they would keep Mitchell on for a further year to maintain the clocks.
“We are in the process of offering a new contract to Mr Mitchell so that the council-owned clocks can be started up as soon as possible and continue to be maintained for the next 12 months,” it said, according to the South Wales Evening Post.