Over two days Thomann Hanry first used their superheated water and chemical system to clean all the stone associated with the pillar then applied a surface protection to prevent stains penetrating the surface. This should make future maintenance more manageable and less costly. Finally, they installed pigeon spikes to deter perching and protect against the corrosive effect of bird droppings. The succesful results can be seen in the before, during and after photographs below.
The use of a cherry picker during the operation allowed close examination of the Dials faces and the Orb and revealed some deterioration in the paint and gilding finishes. Restoration work on these is planned for the new year.
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