The Chimes of Freedom?

The chimes of freedom are no longer going to ring out in Gala because of Scottish Borders Council. The environmental health officers of SBC have decided to silence the bells between midnight and 7.15 a.m. because they have received one complaint from a local B&B owner. According to the council they are just "moving with the times". Their spokesperson added: "The council had a legal obligation to act based on the findings of environmental health and consultation would not have changed that fact." How is affecting our health? Is it Quasimodo who complained?

The clock stands above a statue of a Border Reiver and the war memorial carries the names of 635 men from Galashiels who died in World War I. Yet SBC decided that the complaint was “not unreasonable.” What has that got to do with environmental health grounds? It’s like someone saying, “I hear what you say.” It normally means they are about to ignore you. According to the spokesperson “The clock dates back to the time when most people would not have had clocks at home and relied on the chimes to help them tell the time, day or night." Oh please! Who are they kidding? So for £850 we’re going to silence the bells. I can think of a lot better ways to spend the money….and that’s not counting how much it cost to investigate the whole affair.