I just found out that the clock tower is called St. Stephens Clock tower and it’s the bell inside the clock tower that is called Big Ben.

Big Ben wont be working for 4-6 weeks as it is undergoing maintenance. The bell rings every hour and every quarter of an hour. This the first time that the bell will stop ringing since 1956. However, the clock will be ticking and showing the time. The work is being carried out in preparation for Big Ben’s 150th Anniversary which falls in 2009.

Big Ben had cracked soon after it was commissioned, however, the engineers merely turned the bell so that the hammer doesn’t hit the crack. That same bell is still being used.