Old Father Time is a weather vane at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, in the shape of Father Time removing the bails from a wicket. The weathervane is a total of 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall, with the figure of Father Time standing at 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m). It was given to Lord's in 1926 by the architect of the Grandstand, Sir Herbert Baker.
Old Father Time was originally located atop the old Grand Stand. It was wrenched from its perch during the Blitz, when it became entangled in the steel cable of a barrage balloon, but was repaired and returned to its previous position. In 1992 the weather vane was struck by lightning, and the subsequent repairs were featured on children's television programme Blue Peter. Old Father Time was permanently relocated to the Mound Stand in 1996, when the Grand Stand was demolished and rebuilt.
In 1969 Old Father Time became the subject of a poem, Lord's Test, by the Sussex and England cricketer John Snow.
Famous quotes containing the words father time, father and/or time:
“Always the same old story—
Father Time and Mother Earth,
A marriage on the rocks.”
—James Merrill (b. 1926)
“The desire of most parents is first and foremost to do what is best for their children. Every interview with a mother or father confirms this, every letter written by a parent breathes this deep-seated wish, “I hope I am doing the right thing for my child.” This is real and honest, and at the very base of parenthood.”
—Irma Simonton Black (20th century)
“One of the greatest faults of the women of the present time is a silly fear of things, and one object of the education of girls should be to give them knowledge of what things are really dangerous.”
—Ellen Henrietta Swallow Richards (1842–1911)