The Clock's Bells Vs Street Noise

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When you open a can of worms it should not be all that surprising if they start to wriggle all over the place. Precedence elsewhere come into focus and the veracity of claims get to be challenged. Likewise, the accuracy and appropriateness of statements come under scrutiny.

Interestingly, LCC mucked up the motion regarding the Town Clock or was it Ald. Dean who did that?

It has to be noted that the "chimes" are already turned off between 11pm and 6 am. The motion was probably meant to investigate the turning off, or subdueing of, the STRIKING between those hours.

So the motion is of no consequence because that is already status quo.

THE NOTICE OF MOTION READ
1. That the Launceston City Council review the position regarding the chiming of the Town Clock during the night hours with a view to a cessation of the chiming and or a subduing of the chimes.

2. That for the purposes of the review the time frame for cessation or subduing of the chimes be between the hours of 11.00 pm and 6.00 am.

3. That as part of the review process the community be provided with an opportunity for input.

4. That a report on the findings be brought to a Strategic Planning and Policy Committee Meeting at the first available opportunity and prior to the end of this calendar year.

It seems that Ald. Dean has the Post Office Clock in mind as a Council election issue! If so what is it supposed to deflect attention away from? It is anybody's guess! In any event it is worthwhile looking at the quality of the research that informed the motion.

Wikipedia tells us, and anybody who goes there to start their research, that "Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. This extension is technically incorrect, but its usage is now entirely commonplace.

It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world. It celebrated its 150th anniversary in May 2009, during which celebratory events took place. The clock was finished being built on 10 April 1858. The clock tower has become one of the most prominent symbols of both London and England, often in the establishing shot of films set in the city" ... AND "The most basic sort of striking clock simply sounds a bell once every hour. This sort of striking clock is called a passing strike clock. It is far simpler to create such a clock; all that must be done is to attach a cam to a shaft that rotates once an hour; the cam raises and then lets fall a hammer that strikes the bell. Originating before the mechanical clock itself, in water clocks, such clocks were the earliest striking clocks; they rang once for each canonical hour, and were used as reminders to summon monks or nuns to their prayers. This sort of striking is still found in some skeleton clocks. It does not require a separate gear train to arm and release the single stroke sounded." Click here for more on Big Ben

Big Ben has set some legal precedents to do with silencing of the clock that can be applied in Launceston. Very interestingly, Ald. Shipp referred to Big Ben when he responded to Ald. Dean's motion. It seems he was on the money.