An Open Letter to Holy Trinity Church, Hotwells, Bristol

[gothick]

Dear Holy Trinity Church,

On Saturday mornings, I get up, have a shower, and write. Sometimes I write articles for my editor, sometimes I just write something for my LiveJournal. Very occasionally, I write short fiction. I enjoy the peace and quiet of my neighbourhood, which is placid, even though it's only a mile or two away from the centre of Bristol. It is a calming experience, and I feel peaceful, happy, and productive.

On DONG Sunday mornings, I DONG get up, have a shower, DONG and try to write. DONG Sometimes I'll try to write DONG articles for my editor, sometimes DONG just stuff for LiveJournal. There may DONG even be the occasional attempt at DONG fiction. Unfortunately, my DONG writing is disturbed by the DONG constant tolling of your DONG large bell, whose electrically DONG operated and tireless "donging" DONG goes on for hours on Sunday DONG mornings. My peace of mind is DONG quickly eroded by the Chinese DONG water torture of your DONG irritating noise, still loud DONG enough to be heard in my DONG lounge even though your DONG bell is half a mile away. Why DONG do you have to DONG advertise your faith so DONG strenuously? Go hide your DONG bell under a bushel.

Love,

DONG

Matt

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_nicolai_/]

Wot, no peals of bells, just tolling one bell?
How boring.
Unless, I suppose, someone highly significant like the Queen has died, or the country is being invaded, that can justify tolling a bell a lot.

[andre-powell.livejournal.com]

BACK IN THE MISTS OF TIME .....

I lived opposite a church back home which only had a single bell.
It was however just rung a few times at around Morning Eucharist (see I know the lingo) and that was it. It was ever so slightly off key which was down to my Uncle.
He also detested the slightly more tunefull single dong. So on one particular Sunday morning back in the late 50's early 60's he openned the bedroom window and then pointed his air rifle at it getting a bulls eye on first shot.
It has never sounded the same since apparently.

[shereenb.livejournal.com]

Round these parts a single bell tolling usually signifies either a funeral or a mass. But if it's the latter there are only a few tolls.

That must be a lovely thing to wake up to on hangover mornings.

[christiffer.livejournal.com]

"Shut up you bastards!!!!" /Vyvian

[gothick-matt.livejournal.com]

Well, they only have the one bell (http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidave/372007077/). And it was something I used to enjoy, a familiar part of the neighbourhood. But that was when it just tolled the hours off. Handy if you need to reminded that you'd better get in the shower, else you'll be late for work, or to tell you that it's time for bed. It's only started doing the one-every-couple-of-seconds long-term Sunday-morning donging relatively recently.

And to add insult to injury, the regular hourly chimes are no longer on the hour, but a couple of minutes early. I've been fantasising about wandering in one afternoon, if only because I think the line, "excuse me, but I think your church is fast" just needs to be said :)

[gothick-matt.livejournal.com]

So, the moral of this story is, if you're going to commit violent acts inspired by religion, make sure you use a big enough gun?

[gothick-matt.livejournal.com]

I think a peal would be rather less irritating, but I'm not certain. One of the reasons I didn't do much Sunday overtime while I was at NatWest was the bloody noise from the church next door. But it's just possible that their campanologists were particularly repetitive and unimaginative. And at least this electric bell has rhythm, even if it is provided by an electric timer...

[andre-powell.livejournal.com]

No only violent acts against religion should you make sure you use a big enough gun.
I do still think what the Taliban did to the Buddha statues was still wrong as Buddhism is a philosophy. I don't think Buddhism has ever burnt anyone at the stake, called for a war against their fellow man or arrested someone for saying the Earth goes around the Sun.

[k425.livejournal.com]

Do tell them if the clock is off, timewise - they can GALMI to sort that out.

How long have you lived where you are? The church may have done the pre-service bell for some time, stopped for some reason (broken bell is the most common reason) and then restarted once the bell was fixed. We're forever having to stop our striker and, indeed, the clock, because of bell issues. Once the bell is fixed, the striker and clock are started again. Woebetide any incomeden who complains, mind - the church has been around rather longer than they have. We get more complaints that the bell isn't working (but noticeably no financial assistance to fix it!).

[gothick-matt.livejournal.com]

Oh, I've lived here for nearly a decade now. The hourly chimes did stop for a while at one point, but they were regular for years before that, and for quite some time afterwards, I think, before this Sunday bonging started.

Meh. It just sounds so mechanical and doleful. And I can't help but think that most of the people for whom it would be any use were probably planning on nipping down to the church anyway. I wish this kind of noise didn't annoy/distract me so much, but for some reason, it just does...