And stopping BBC broadcasts on Sunday evening from late afternoon until 7pm to allow people to go to church

Can you imagine trying to do that now ?

I do like the way the Church is starting to get what it deserves, a friend of mine recently successfully got an ASBO against the local bell ringers (well, a computer programme that rang the bells) they now cannot ring before 10am and after 6pm, he wasn't goimg to take it so far until the local Vicar was such a complete to55er about it.

Sounds like your mate has spoiled it for everyone. Bells chime for a reason you know.

This is a situation where I have some sympathy with the church, since it and the bells were more than likely there before the houses and the people who moved there.

I know York Minster gets frequent complaints from the Dean Court Hotel right next door. I believe the reply is generally along the lines of the Dean Court Hotel was built in 1865. York Minster was consecrated in 1472. If you choose to build a hotel next to a big church, don't be surprised by the bells.

It's a bit like someone moving in to a house near old Trafford then complaining about the noise and the traffic every other week.

there may well be a reason, but there isn't a purpose of a bell ringing at 3am, is there?

religion has done way more to "spoil" the world than my mate not wanting to listen to bells rining 24/7

I live in a village with a church that plays chimes on the hour every hour. Then, every fourth hour, it plays a tune for a whole minute. Even at midnight and 4am. Every Thursday night they practise their bell-ringing for a good couple of hours. I find this particularly annoying as I have to close my windows and turn my TV up just to try and drown it out.

If I took my guitar amp into the garden at four hourly intervals and cranked it up so that the whole village could hear it, there'd be complaints. Particularly if I also held a two-hour open air practise session every Thursday night.

Who was there first is immaterial - either loud music is acceptable, or it's not. Why should I have to decide not to live in an otherwise desirable area just because the local church makes a racket at regular intervals. It seems that, sadly, this is another case of religion getting a free pass.

I've thought about doing this myself. I'd like to read up on the case if you know any more details.

They should stop at a certain time so it's not early mornings or late on a night, that's just unnecessary. But I would say that church bells have a historical context beyond religion and like I said, would you buy a house near Old Trafford then complain about the roads being blocked up every other week? Or is that sport getting a free pass?

And hugely annoying if you're a light sleeper.



I don't have a problem with them chiming on the hour during the day/evening. The playing of a little tune every four hours is unnecessary at any time of day. I remember playing a gig at an outdoor party in the village a couple of summers ago, and I had to actually stop my set and sit there for a minute until it had finished.



I think the two are different.

For a start, unless you're around viewing a house in the area between 7 and 9 on a Thursday evening, you wouldn't necessarily get to know about the two hour bellathon. Likewise the late night/early morning chimes. Secondly, the playing of loud music is something that any member of the public or business can face legal action over if it occurs at inappropriate times or with inappropriate frequency. Yet church bells seem to somehow be exempt. I think it's also relevant that Man Utd don't usually schedule their fixtures for 0400.

I'll PM you the full story tomorrow morning, heading out in half an hour.