Funnily enough, I have been asked to judge a striking contest and although I cannot ring, the musician I reckon I am (others can judge...) can follow a method and strike rate, or tempo as it could also be called.

Regarding locking people in a tower, Henry VIII wouldn't get much sympathy these days and hopefully the police and courts deal with the criminals who did it, as well as cutting the ropes. Criminal damage or vandalism, it still puts the perpetrators outside of decent society. Must be awful living in a village with such despicable criminals in it.

I reckon it can be a bit of a din when a competition is on and sometimes, as with many hobbies, people can be blinkered to the effect their hobby can be having.

However, there is room for everybody in this world. I moan when the airfield up the road have people practicing taking off, swinging by my house and landing again, repeat.. But a) I bought a house near an airfield, b) it is not a 24/7 problem, and c) it doesn't last forever each time. I don't contemplate criminal activities nor indeed talk as if I did.

I sang in a marquee at a festival a few years ago and the police said there had been complaints from the nearby village. We can all make too much noise, we can all complain about other peoples' noise and hopefully we can all live and let live once in a while. (Yes, they COULD have been just complaining about my set but the rock band on after me beat me hands down in the decibel stakes.)