A love letter to Old Joe

As a third year I have grown fond of Old Joe, as a symbol of my university experience. Old Joe represents the true redbrick nature of the University of Birmingham, and is a stunning free-standing clock tower, unique in its own right. With this in mind it only seems right to write the 325 foot monument a love letter. So sit back, grab your tissues and prepare to be cringed out.

Dear Old Joe,

As our time grows to an end, I want to say thank you. Thank you for brightening up my 9ams. Thank you for saving my Instagram. Thank you for easing my work pressures. Thank you for saving the redbrick era from the dark abyss of modernity (aka the New Library), Thank You.

You make ‘Dissertation Photos’, and you save Open Day tours with your greatness. Vale residents can never get lost as you are their chiming guide. I share photos of you on social media with UOB pride.

I drew you a picture (Credit: Jono Stapleton)

My Grandparents stood near you and graduated and so shall I soon. Brick by brick you amaze us all. You never change and you are unique (the tallest freestanding clock tower in the world I mean c’mon). You out class the sunset, and you make it easy to meet up with people.

Although, you curse those who stand under you when you chime, that they’ll fail their degree, and it has been said that you inspired the Eye of Sauron in J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, I forgive you. You don’t simply tell the time, you change colour for great causes, and you give students something to visit when their folks are about.

Old Joe you make Big Ben look like a stopwatch. You mean the world to me and I’ll never forget you, for if you cut me, I bleed the rubble of Old Joe.

Goodbye, old friend.