It would be wrong to spend up to £1,500 of public money on repairing a clock in Keswick when everyone nowadays either wears a watch or carries a phone displaying the time.
That was the view of town mayor Paul Titley, who opposed a call for the jubilee clock at Cafe Hope in Hope Park to be mended out of funds from the charitable trust which runs the park.
The clock had been provided by Keswick Lions to mark the Queen’s 60th jubilee in 2012 when the new Cafe Hope was officially opened for Hope Park Leisure.
The new building, complete with clock tower, replaced the park’s old green wooden kiosk which had stood at the main entrance to the park since 1927.
Duncan Miller had attended that ceremony eight years ago as chairman of the charitable trust which runs the park.
At a recent meeting, Mr Miller reported that the clock was no longer working and said: “In my opinion, a clock is not a clock if it is not working. I feel quite strongly that we owe it to Keswick Lions and Hope Park Leisure (to repair it).”
A quote for the work had come in at £1,000 to £1,500 and this money could come out of the park trust’s contingency fund, Mr Miller told fellow trustees during their Zoom meeting last Thursday.
Support came from Steve Harwood, who said: “It lets the building down when you see a clock not working.”
Mr Titley disagreed and asked why the company which had supplied the clock could not repair it.
“When town clerk Lynda Walker ruled this out, the mayor responded: “More or less every person has got a clock on their wrist or phone. Spending north of £1,000 on mending a clock when everyone has got one on their person is the wrong thing to do.”
The trust has concerns about its finances as it waits for confirmation that a £20,000 grant given every year by Allerdale Borough Council to be shared between Fitz and Hope parks will continue to be paid.
Trust chairman Adam Paxon said the clock issue would be discussed at its next meeting in January.
