Dad had a black, wind-up alarm clock. Big Ben ticked loudly like an ominous time bomb. Before going to bed, he’d set the alarm, wind it and make it toll a little bell twice before placing it back down on the table next to his bed. It kept accurate time.

Big Ben was the only clock in the house except the red-faced one in the kitchen which was always 15 or 20 minutes fast. Mother never had enough time to do all the things she wanted to do. She liked the idea that she was beating the clock. She’d look at the clock and say — we have more time than that.