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John Thorp, captain of St Martin’s Bell Ringers |
The bells, the bells! Neighbour in plea over ringing in his ears
Bride’s late arrival means a noisy afternoon and another complaint for church
IT’S a marriage made a little south of heaven: the bells of St Martin’s Church, an irate neighbour with earache, and a very late bride-to-be.
A Gospel Oak couple’s wedding on Saturday got an angry reception from one uninvited guest, who was forced to listen to peels of bells from the church until the bride arrived – 40 minutes late.
Carl Sanders, whose flat in Bacton Tower faces the church’s belfry in Vicar’s Road, has asked environmental health officers to silence the bells after the marathon alarum to love shattered his weekend.
In a series of angry emails to John Thorp, captain of the St Martin’s Bell Ringers, Mr Sanders wrote: “The loud bells may have been appropriate at the time they were installed, but this world has moved on, estates have been built around them... people need to rest. No one should be burdened and harassed in such manner.”
It is not the first time the two have clashed over the volume of worship. Mr Sanders has sent dozens of missives to the church, bell-ringers, and council over the past two years.
The church said they had done their best to control the noise – even going so far as putting mufflers on the bells.
Mr Thorp said his team of six ringers followed “best practice”.
“Unfortunately the bride was was late so we had to ring for longer than we thought,” he said. “We did cut back the ringing after the wedding, to allow for the fact that we’d rung longer beforehand.”
Church warden Christie Dawson added: “He [Sanders] is the only complaint we ever get. People get married here especially because of the bells.”
A council spokesman said: “The council has never banned churches from bell ringing and does not regularly receive complaints from residents about the noise from bells. St Martin’s Church has been there for hundreds of years and the council has not received any other complaints from residents about the noise of the church bells.”
“The council have asked Mr Sanders to keep a record of how frequently the bells ring and share this information with the council. Mr Sanders has failed to do this and until he does we are unable to investigate it fully.”
‘Help!’ New priest’s plea
THE congregation of St Martin’s Church welcomed their new priest on Monday.
Hundreds of church-goers packed the Gospel Oak church in Vicar’s Road for the licensing ceremony of Reverend Christopher Brice.
The post of priest-in-charge has been empty since the influential Reverend John Hayward left in March.
His replacement, Mr Brice, has been a diocesan adviser on social justice for the past 14 years.
The Bishop of Edmonton, Peter Wheatley, who led the inauguration, said Father Brice’s appointment to St Martin’s was well chosen.
“He’s a priest of considerable expertise working with disadvantaged social justice,” he said. “It’s a huge gain for the community and for the church in Camden.”
Father Christopher Brice added: “It’s a great privilege. I feel humbled and honoured, and also a little anxious to be appointed. I’m going to need all the help I can get as we plan for the future.” |
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