SHOULD the chimes be restarted on the clock at the Cawdor Hall in the centre of Newcastle Emlyn?

That was the question asked at October’s meeting of the town council – and opinion was divided over the answer.

The clock has not chimed for a number of years and Cllr Maureen Webley said she had spoken to several people in the square and on Castle Street and they would prefer the clock not to strike.

“Several have asked me if it would be possible for the mechanism to be set to chime during the day but not at night,” said Cllr Webley.

“In the past it has not been that reliable. I have known it to chime 10 times at two o’clock in the morning and I would not want it to go back to that situation.”

Cllr Peter Lewis said it was not possible for the mechanism to chime during the day only.

“Unfortunately, that’s the way it works but having said that I would like to see the clock chime again as it is part of the town,” said Cllr Lewis.

“I feel sorry for people that live close by but it’s like any noise, you get used to it eventually.”

Cllr Alan Jones said that there had been no complaints that the clock had not been chiming, while Cllr Hazel Evans said it had proved to be unreliable in the past and had often chimed the wrong time.

Councillors agreed to defer the decision to spring, when the weather improves and the nights are getting lighter.