Tuesday, December 04, 2012




No freedom to chime in Britain

Westminster chimes do tend to distract people who are not used to them but you get used to them pretty quickly and hardly notice them after that

A church bell which was silenced for the first time in a century following a complaint by village newcomers will continue to chime after a threat of legal action was lifted.

The old bell, which survived two world wars, had been marking the passing of each quarter of an hour in the quaint 15th Century All Saints Church since being installed 100 years ago.

But stunned clergy were served with a council 'noise abatement notice' - prohibiting the bell chiming between 11pm and 7am after a complaint from new residents.

This was issued after village newcomers Jonathan Apps and Tina Hallett complained to North Somerset Council that the chimes kept them awake at night.

All Saints Church in Wrington, north Somerset, was forced to silence the clock chimes completely, as the mechanism could not be turned off just at night.

Residents in the picturesque village were left furious at the decision, saying they relied on the chimes to tell the time as the church does not have a clock face.

Mr Apps and Ms Hallett - who live opposite the church - withdrew their complaint and stated that they did not wish to pursue the abatement notice.  But the notice had already been issued - meaning that the church was forced to comply with it or appeal against it through the courts.

Today, a spokesman for North Somerset Council said an agreement had been reached with the Parochial Church Council to limit the church to chiming hourly overnight.

The All Saints' tower was influenced by the design of the Victoria Tower at the Houses of Parliament, which stands opposite the most famous chiming clock in the world - Big Ben.

Source

OK: "Freedom to chime" is not serious.  But pole dancing has been held as protected speech in the USA -- so if this had happened in America, there might have been a case.


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Residents in the picturesque village were left furious at the decision, saying they relied on the chimes to tell the time as the church does not have a clock face."

Solution for the "furious" residents... buy your own damn clock or watch. Another case of people dependent upon the church. Nothing but religious welfare and socialism.

Anonymous said...

Let me guess..........the screeching racket of the Muslim
call to prayer is perfectly OK, right? After all we have to kiss the a*** of the invaders.

Bird of Paradise said...

So to these eletists snobs a churchbell is oofensive but i,ll bet they still listen to the mindless OOOOMMMM OOOOMMMM OOOMMMM of the eco-freaks worshipping GAIA

Anonymous said...

What German Fascists could not silence, British Fascists have succeeded. Take a bow, England. You are exceptional and lead the way in soft tyranny. Careful lest your allies across the pond catch up to you with their new Messiah.

Dean said...

This was issued after village newcomers Jonathan Apps and Tina Hallett complained to North Somerset Council that the chimes kept them awake at night

Sounds familiar.

People build next to a stock car facility or rifle range and then complain about the noise and ask for them to be shut down.

Or they build next to a National Guard tank/heavy vehicle maintenance and test facility then gripe about the noise and dust raised when said vehicles are test driven.

One couple moved move into our small community and complained that there is no live theater or opera available. 6.000 people here and we are expected to have live theater and an opera company?

Another couple bought property among ranches, then demanded neighboring ranchers keep their livestock away from the property line because they smelled like, well, livestock.

Others moved to a rural area and then complained that the road to their land isn't paved.

A man and his wife bought remote mountain property and built there. Then were upset because the state didn't plow their private road, forcing them to move to town for the winter.

But the winner was an out-of-state newcomer who wrote a scathing letter to the editor ranting about Montana residents driving full size 4wd pickups. When there was snow on the road those pickups left tracks too wide for his Subaru to fit in, and as a result he ended up stuck. His solution was for everyone else to stop driving 4wd pickups and drive a Subaru.

There are self-centered, ignorant people everywhere. Fortunately they are a minority. At least here they are.

Anonymous said...

Sadly Dean coming to the nuisance is not a defence (although it may factor somewhere into an exercise of discretion).
Either the matter complained of is a nuisance or it is not. It doesn't really matter if everyone else is ok with it.
But I do sympathise - you really need to understand what you are buying into BEFORE you buy.

Go Away Bird said...

Just as bad as that selfish self cenetred athiests jerk who tried to get IN GOD WE TRUST removed from our coins and currancy

Anonymous said...

@Go Away Bird, take a look at how they "compromised" on the gold dollars by stamping it along the EDGE op the coins--the part that is easily worn away.

Anonymous said...

The Council should have bought them earplugs, and told them to f#@k off.