Collecting, Restoration & Hobbies – B2 English Listening Exercise

9 library 10 water clocks 11 fragrance 12 beeswax

13 wick 14 spices 15 smoke

16 metal ball 17 history festival 18 oil lamp

Marcus: Hi everyone, my name is Marcus, and I’m fascinated by ancient timekeeping methods. Today I want to tell you all about my latest project: recreating an archaic candle clock. People often assume I got the idea for this from a local museum exhibit, or perhaps from watching a history documentary on TV. Actually, the inspiration came quite unexpectedly. I stumbled across a fascinating illustration while I was browsing through an old manuscript in a library. That single, detailed image sparked a complete obsession with historical timepieces.

Before the invention of reliable mechanical clocks, keeping track of time was quite tricky, especially at night or on cloudy days. While sundials were obviously great during sunny days, indoors or after dark, people typically had to rely on water clocks. These were highly accurate but were quite complex and expensive to build, though hourglasses also became a much more common alternative later on. A simpler, more accessible option for many people was the candle clock.

Now, the specific candle clock I wanted to recreate was a rather unique novelty. It wasn’t just marked with painted lines or numbers to show the passing hours, as standard ones were. Instead, it was brilliantly designed to release a distinct new fragrance with each passing hour of combustion. This meant that you didn’t even have to walk over and look at the candle to know what time it was; you could just smell the change in the air!

When it came to actually making the candle, I had to choose my materials very carefully. Modern paraffin wax is cheap and easy to get hold of, and soy wax is very popular these days for eco-friendly candles. However, to ensure historical accuracy, I opted for pure beeswax. It is considerably more expensive, but it burns much more cleanly and slowly, exactly as a high-quality candle would have done centuries ago.

I initially thought that getting the temperature right and pouring the wax would be the hardest part, but I was completely wrong. I quickly discovered that getting the exact wick right was the most challenging aspect of the construction. If the material was too thick, the candle burned way too fast; if it was too thin, it would just keep going out. It took me weeks of frustrating trial and error to find the perfect balance.

To create the different scents that would be released hourly, I initially considered using concentrated essential oils. But since those weren’t readily available in the same way during ancient times, I decided instead to use layers of ground spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I carefully mixed these directly into the wax at specific, mathematically calculated intervals.

My first proper test run, however, was a bit of a disaster. I was hoping for a beautifully scented room to prove my success, but the organic materials didn’t burn cleanly at first. I ended up with a room completely full of thick smoke, rather than the pleasant aromas I had envisioned! Fortunately, I adjusted the recipe, reduced the concentration, and solved the problem.

I also wanted to include an auditory alarm feature in my reproduction. Some historical accounts mention using a heavy nail inserted into the wax that would drop onto a metal plate to wake someone up. I didn’t have any suitable antique nails, so I inserted a small metal ball at the three-hour mark instead. When the wax finally melted, it fell with a loud ‘clinking’ sound, which worked absolutely perfectly.

I’ve been so proud of the final working product that I really wanted to share it with the public. I thought about doing a video online to reach a wide audience, but last month, I actually set it up and demonstrated it at a history festival in my city. The crowd was absolutely fascinated by how well such an ancient concept actually worked.

Now that this project is fully finished, I’m already actively looking for my next challenge. I thought about attempting to make an early mechanical clock, but they require incredibly advanced metalworking skills that I just don’t possess yet. So, I’ve started researching the designs for an ancient oil lamp instead. I’m hoping to have a working, historically accurate model ready by this time next year. Thanks for listening!

9 museum 10 equipment 11 animal fat 12 alarm clock

13 metal plate 14 bedroom 15 contracts

16 relaxation 17 safety 18 book

Simon: Hi everyone, my name is Simon, and I’m a traditional candlemaker and historian. I’m here to talk to you about the fascinating history of candle making and my hobby of restoring antique tools. Most people assume I learned the craft from my grandfather, who was a skilled carpenter, or perhaps from reading old encyclopedias. But actually, it was a visit to a local museum that sparked my interest. They had an exhibition on pre-industrial lighting that completely captivated me.

I don’t just make candles from scratch; my main passion is collecting and restoring the items our ancestors used. While many collectors focus on finding old recipe journals, my primary focus is restoring vintage equipment. I’ve found some amazing metal moulds and melting pots at flea markets that just needed a bit of polishing to bring them back to life.

When we think of candles today, we imagine pleasant scents and clean-burning waxes. Historically, though, beeswax was an expensive luxury reserved for the wealthy or for churches. The majority of ordinary people had to rely on candles made from animal fat. As you can imagine, this produced a rather unpleasant, smoky smell when burned, which is a far cry from the modern soy wax we prefer today.

But my most fascinating discovery involves how ingenious our ancestors were with these simple items. You see, before the invention of mechanical clocks, waking up early for work was quite a challenge. I learned that they actually used a candle as a rudimentary alarm clock. You might think they just trained themselves to wake up when the room got bright, but it was highly inventive.

Here is how they did it. They would embed a nail into the wax at a specific point. They knew roughly how long it took for an inch of wax to burn. As the wax melted down to that exact level, the nail would plummet. Rather than just falling onto the wooden floor, which might not make enough noise, it would drop onto a metal plate positioned directly underneath. This generated a waking clatter, loud enough to rouse a sleeping person.

I found this so amusing that I decided to build one of these devices myself. I initially tested it out in my workshop, fearing it might cause a mess, but it was so effective and safe that I eventually moved it into my bedroom! It successfully woke me up every morning for an entire week!

Beyond keeping time for sleep, candles had other historical administrative uses. They were regularly used in auctions; bidding on an item would continue until a small pin dropped from the flame. Interestingly, they were even used to time the signing of important contracts. The parties had exactly until the flame extinguished to reach an agreement, which added a lot of pressure!

Nowadays, of course, we have electricity and digital devices, so the practical need for candle-based timekeeping is long gone. While some folks still buy my handcrafted candles for emergency lighting during winter power cuts, their primary purpose today is definitely relaxation. There is something deeply soothing about watching a flickering flame after a long, stressful day.

Because of this renewed interest, I now run weekend courses for beginners. People are always eager to dive straight into blending essential oils and mixing colours, but the very first lesson I always insist on covering is safety. Working with boiling wax and open flames can be hazardous if you don’t know what you are doing.

Looking ahead to the future, I’ve had offers to open a larger commercial shop, but that doesn’t appeal to me. Instead, I’m currently putting together a book documenting these forgotten historical techniques. I hope it will ensure that the clever tricks of the past aren’t lost forever.