for locals, and a timepiece for all. Today, the handsome clock which for years has maintained its post in front of both the Phoenix and the Phoenix Centre, is still ticking and very much a part of the business. Owned by the Bermuda Drug Company (BDC) and older than most can remember, the clock was once assumed to be the property of either the Government or the Corporation of Hamilton because it stood on city streets. According to the archives of the Bermuda General Agency (BGA), the wholesale arm of the BDC, the clock is approximately 125 years old. As such, it has cast its face on many of the changes in the City of Hamilton. It has seen the days of the horse and buggy, heard the roar and rumble of the train as it journeyed to the eastern and western ends of the Island, and has seen the introduction of motorised vehicles to Hamilton streets. As detailed by Leon Perinchief, a former pharmacist at the Phoenix store, the clock was first located on Front Street in the early part of the century, in the vicinity of what is today, Port O' Call. Erected by a Mr. Childs, it was later purchased by T. E. M. Doe and moved to Queen Street, opposite H. A. & E. Smith Ltd. For reasons unknown, the clock was then moved further up Queen Street where it was placed in front of what is today, Everrich Jewellery. It was then purchased by the Bermuda Drug Company in August of 1926, and moved in front of the Phoenix, then located at the corner of Reid and Queen Streets. In 1990, when the Phoenix moved across the street to Reid Hall, and became the Phoenix Centre, the clock of course, was moved with it. According to the archives, Mr. Perinchief guided this last move, giving it a complete overhaul after it was installed. Still in mint condition, two keys (or more accurately, one key and one tool resembling the old-fashioned crank of a motor car), are needed to wind the clock. The key unlocks a metal door at the base of the clock, afterwhich the big metal crank is used to actually wind up the weights. The procedure was once undertaken by Reid Young, former president of the Phoenix Stores and vice president of BDC Ltd., or former Phoenix manager, Harold Simms. For many years, Mr. Young took time to wind the clock, sometimes even climbing up to set it if for one reason or another, the hands were a bit tired. As stated in archival records, he had a soft spot for the timepiece. "It's just one of those things...,'' he said at the time. "I love old things and I love this clock -- perhaps as much as any other member of my family.'' PHOTO The clock serves as a rendezvous point for locals and visitors The clock is still a familiar Hamilton landmark The old clock, which has stood in Hamilton for decades, has spent most of its years outside the various Phoenix stores The Litter Critter will be one of the many characters roaming the Phoenix Centre this week The old scale, a familiar sight at the Phoenix, may be found at the bottom of the escalator on the main floor A week full of lively entertainment! A large mural highlights the Cosmetics' section in the Phoenix Centre Like the Litter Critter, the BELCO Bird will also be strutting through the Phoenix Centre this week as part of the store's celebrations The Esso Tiger, shown at a celebration, will also be roaming the Phoenix Centre PHOENIX BUSINESS BUC