The sound of the clock bells divided the town of Aldeanueva de San Bartolomé: “The bells that are there all your life”, “In the silence of the night then “the chimes wake you up”say two residents of this town of 400 inhabitants. They will decide whether to stop ringing between midnight and five in the morning.
The bell and clock on the town hall tower are a symbol of the municipality. What is not so popular is the schedule: “During the day it makes sense, but at night,” another neighbor comments. Because they ring every half hour, all night long. And the neighbors who live closer are not very happy about it.
Antonio’s family lives in a house a few meters from the tower and says that at night they wake up every half hour: “This summer, when it was so hot, the bells rang and we had to close the windows.”
This is why the mayor was forced to organize a referendumto decide whether or not to change the night time on the clock. Ángel Faro, mayor of Aldeanueva de San Bartolomé: “I wanted to leave the responsibility to my compatriots so that they can express themselves freely.”
La Sexta conducted an investigation where the debates take place, in the city bar: “Do the bells ring in Big Ben in London? Well here too”“The rooster must crow, the dog barks and the clock bells ring”, “I mind if the bells bother me.” A city divided by a clock, which will have to wait and see what the polls say.
