Up and down the country church bells are silent. Silent because there is not enough money to pay for their upkeep or because some city dweller moving out into the country complains that they’re keeping him or her awake at night.
“Try living next door to a cockerel,” is our response, but
instead, even in the Village News area, there are church bells that are silent –
at least during the hours of darkness, due to some out-of-towner’s complaints
or worse...a visit from the dreaded Council’s Public Health
Nuisance Team waving an Abatement
Notice in the air.
We're not
sure what would happen next if the bells kept toiling. The Council could apply to the Magistrate's Court for a Warrant to enter the property
that is causing the nuisance and remove the offending noise maker. We're not sure
how easy it would be to remove a mega-ton bell out of a church tower, although
the scrap value may be an incentive.
Fortunately, the local residents around St
Nicholas Church appear to live with the bells chiming out every quarter hour,
day and night. They’re obviously in quite good nick, the bells that is – not (necessarily)
the residents.
As for the clock, that is another matter. So many
drivers and pedestrians glance up at the St Nicholas clock face to check on the
time that its absence would be sorely missed. A few years ago the face was
refurbished and it now shines blue and gold in the sunlight, but now it’s the
turn of the mechanism. The clock is 157 years old, is the first of its kind in
the world and still in its original condition. It is historically important
being the forerunner of, probably the model for, Big Ben's clock.
To help raise the £3,500 needed, Theatre
Productions present "If Music be the Food of Love!" - a charity musical
evening to fund the clock’s overhaul. This production takes place at 7.30pm on
Thursday 31st July. Tickets are £8 including wine & light
refreshments. Tickets can be bought online from the Village News shop (http://www.chislehurstpettswoodandbickleyvillagenews.co.uk/#/shop/4578218722)
or from local clock enthusiast, Peter Appleby, on 020 8467 9368.
If you are unable to attend the production you can also use the
ticket purchasing “Shop” to make a donation, in £5 increments.
I hope that Mr Appleby raises his £3,500 – otherwise we may
be sending the cockerels round.
No comments:
Post a Comment