Watching the ball drop

Today, No1 and only son and I were just on our way to Craigwell Cottage for episode 3 of the washing machine replacement saga. As we wandered down Campbell's Close, we spotted the time ball atop the Nelson Monument poised in its pre-one o'clock position. Geeks that we are we watched it fall, then listened for the bang of the one o'clock gun. We then spent a happy half hour or so discussing the physics of sound waves and the necessity for ships to know the exact time. It's what school holidays are for!