Help silence St Nicholas Church clock – and get a cockerel.

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.

© www.chislehurstpettswoodandbickleyvillagenews.co.uk