Seconds out for wonky church clock

Time check . . . Saddleworth Parish Church sexton Stanley Cowburn does a time check with Lily Hopkinson, secretary to the Parochial Church Council outside the Parish Church’s stationary timepiece

Angry villagers say they are living in a community where time stands still – because the council has no money to maintain the church clock.

For more than two years, Stanley Cowburn, sexton of Saddleworth Parish Church, has been locked in dispute with Oldham Council, which is responsible for maintaining the clocks at the ancient landmark.

The church has three gold-fingered clock faces pointing to Uppermill, Dobcross and Diggle — but they all show different times and none is accurate.

Now, in a bid to stop jibes from churchgoers, locals and tourists, Mr Cowburn (73) has been forced to close the timepieces down.

“The clocks themselves are really sturdy,” he said. “But the constant complaints about them showing the wrong times has been very embarrassing.

“It is better they are stopped completely until the problem is sorted out.

“I have made scores of calls to the council, but I have just been fobbed off. It’s very frustrating.”

Lily Hopkinson, secretary to the Parochial Church Council, said: “The fact the clock does not work properly sends out a totally wrong impression of our community.

“It makes us look as if the church does not care — which, of course, is totally untrue.

“It’s not long since parishioners paid to have the clock faces refurbished and the gold leaf restored. We have a real pride in them.”

And regulars at the Church Inn, which stands in the shadow of the parish church, say on occasions the clock chimed 13 times at noon.

Innkeeper Julian Taylor, said: “I know some people may believe time stands still in Saddleworth … but not like this. At one point, the fingers actually moved backwards.”

Oldham Council’s assistant director of highways and engineering, Tony Noblet, said: “Due to budgetary demands we have so far been unable to begin work on the Saddleworth Parish Church clock.

“However, we would be very happy to meet church representatives to discuss a way forward.”