Photos: Cleaning ritual on, Big Ben gets it's annual makeover

[caption id="attachment_1672047" align="alignleft" width="940"] Buses cross Westminster Bridge as cleaners work on the faces of Big Ben, to clean and polish the clock face, above the Houses of Parliament, in central London on August 19, 2014. Reuters[/caption][caption id="attachment_1672049" align="alignleft" width="940"] A week has been set aside for the cleaning of what is officially known as the Great Clock, which is set in the Elizabeth Tower. Reuters[/caption][caption id="attachment_1672051" align="alignleft" width="940"] The hands of the clock have been frozen at 12 but the bells will continue to chime as the abseilers work on the cleaning. Reuters[/caption][caption id="attachment_1672053" align="alignleft" width="940"] The tower has been nicknamed Big Ben which is actually the name of the bell[/caption][caption id="attachment_1672055" align="alignleft" width="940"] The structure has been renamed as Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to celebrate Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Reuters[/caption]