Residents of the Scottish town of Beith in the Garnock Valley are currently discussing the nightly chimes of the local church tower, which may disturb the peace of some citizens but has been ‘entrenched in the community for generations’.
What is more important: the tradition of a community or the sleep of an individual? The residents of the Scottish town of Beith are currently debating this. For two hundred years, a church bell chimed the time every hour, including at night, until a noise complaint was received.
But a man who lived next to the church for 23 years has now submitted a request to resume the tradition.
“The gong is more than a clock”
Bryan McWilliams told the BBC: “The chiming bell is more than just a timepiece. It serves as an audible link to our history and heritage and has been ringing for 200 years.” Many residents have relied on the bell their entire lives.
The church in the town south-west of Glasgow was built in 1810. In the 1990s there was already debate about whether the bell should ring every hour. But nothing changed – until a resident complained to the council that the noise was disturbing their sleep. The Church of Scotland then stopped ringing the bells between 11pm and 7am.
But a petition from McWilliams to have the bells rung again in the evening has already attracted 900 signatures. While the well-being of all residents is important, he believes “that one person’s inconvenience should not outweigh a tradition loved by many and ingrained in our community for generations.”
Source: Krone
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