Out of action now for well over a year, what looks like some sort of clerical error appears to have thrown a spanner in the works of efforts to get the town clock fixed.
The clock's care comes under the wing of the Landmark Langport charity trust.
At the end of last week they posted an update which, sadly, did not bring good news.
Let's take a look:
Statement from the Landmark Langport Charity Trust
The Town Hall clock, with its beautiful octagonal face has served as an iconic landmark for the town for close to 150 years, but age is creeping up and as you all know, it has not worked for a while.
Landmark Langport cares for and manages the Town Hall (and other significant buildings etc, in Langport)
We are a tiny charity, run by volunteer Trustees who give considerable time freely and willingly, together with our part-time Administrator Madi, gardener Greg and cleaner Pete. That's it.
We have been working hard to rectify the situation - months of careful planning and organisation, negotiating with Councils, Heritage bodies, insurance companies, Agencies, builders and consultants, and the ever wonderful
Cumbria Clock Company Ltd who are the ONLY people who can fix this, and are doing so at their cost.
We managed to raise the funds (thank you to those who helped), and facilitate getting the work done whilst Bow Street is closed this week, as we needed full facia scaffolding, and all that entails.
Unfortunately, licencing errors and omissions by the scaffolding contractors meant that Somerset Highways Agency declined permission to erect the scaffolding at the last minute. This meant we had to call a halt to the works at the weekend, inconveniencing numerous people severely, and costing us a great deal of money that we simply don't have. We will now have to start again, and raise several thousands of pounds more to cover the additional Traffic Management costs etc.
There have been some negative comments on Social Media about the delay to fixing the clock, and so we wanted to explain that actually, a lot of people have worked very hard to resolve this, only to be failed by others at the crucial time we needed them.
We would also like to say that if you do have strong feelings and / or ideas about this, we are keen to have more volunteers to help us with the workload - we would really welcome your time and thoughts, so do get in touch. email admin@landmarklangport.org.uk
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So there you have it folks. A sorry state of affairs but this certainly gives the impression that Landmark Langport is definitely not giving up.
So for now, those famous hands, the bell and its huge pendulum down through the walls of the town hall remain still....
(with the only swinging going on around here up at Pitney Woods)
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Worth mentioning here, in fact repeating something we've often reported but that many people do not realise....is that the trust - town hall, clock, Ridgway hall & chapel - does not benefit directly from council tax that Langport households pay.
You'd have thought it would, but no. Langport Town Council does 'prop up' the trust and neighbouring Huish Episcopi Parish Council has been very generous too.
But the Trust has to ask for financial help, it's not there automatically through our council tax payments.
I, for one, have always found that odd.
But hey ho, there ya go - that's Langport for you.
and that's your Sunday report folks.
Have a good week!
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