I WAS rather intrigued by the editorial in last week’s Craven Herald, August 4, with regard to the Holy Trinity Church clock at the head of Skipton High Street (Church clock - who pays?).

To chime or not to chime, appears to be the question. As I said in the ding dong debate there are those who live in proximity to the church who would wish the current golden silence would continue into eternity. Alternatively there will be those who consider cultural heritage to override all other opinions and will expect the public purse to pay. If a new chiming mechanism is eventually installed, then, I for one will make a subscription to the project.

As far as we are aware the fabric of the church is the responsibility of the church. At local government reorganisation in 1974, Skipton Town Council actively requested and accepted responsibility for the closed burial grounds within the parish of Skipton. Not the fabric of any church. That the Skipton Urban District Council paid for a clock clearly as fabric of the church does not make a successor town council for such a contribution to Holy Trinity Church responsible for it.

To place the issue into present day context we have a church clock where it’s faces cannot be seen for the foliage in the church grounds for many months of the year. Indeed this problem of the church clock has more faces than the clock itself.

We used to have a well-placed clock at the bus station, sadly disposed of when the upgraded terminal came into use. We still have a High Street clock at Manby’s Corner alas this has not worked for a long, long time. There is still a clock on High Street House at the bottom of the High Street again currently defunct.

Many of us will remember the digital clock opposite the roundabout at the Bay Horse Inn down Keighley Road prominently placed on a large commercial building on the Snaygill Industrial Estate which also displayed the temperature. Alas this is also long gone and therein lies the answer and obvious solution to the “Public Clock Saga of Skipton”.

The current £4m plus makeover of the Skipton Town Hall could easily accommodate a digital time and temperature piece on the public building just to the left of the Town Hall. I realise this obvious solution may be rather radical to some but it would be prominently viewed by all and give the time and temperature twenty four hours a day. Is Skipton ready to take such a step into the present time and age?

County Cllr Robert G Heseltine

Skipton