Noisy Sturminster Newton cockerel is nothing to crow about

8:00am Friday 14th August 2009

By Timothy John »

IT’S a sound synonymous with country life.

While early risers are commonly said to be “up with the lark”, it is the harsher tones of the cockerel that still provides a reassuringly rural alarm call for many. But the rousing cry of a particular rooster at Sturminster Newton’s allotments has awakened anger in the breast of some people living nearby, who have taken their complaint to their elected leaders.

The result? North Dorset District Council has installed noise-monitoring equipment at a secret location close to the cockerel’s dwelling in a bid to monitor the feathered foghorn’s call to action.

Environmental protection officer, Kerry Kirby, remained tight-lipped in the face of the Daily Echo’s enquiries about his team’s attempts to measure the rooster’s oratory.

But he added that grievances with noisy cockerels are “far more common” than people may imagine, hinting that the stand-off at Sturminster was far from an isolated occurrence.

Determined to measure for ourselves the disturbance caused by the allegedly anti-social avian, we sent our intrepid reporter on a cockerel hunt among the runner beans and radishes of the town’s Filbridge allotment.

Gardener, Sidney Axe, 74, voiced an opinion repeated without exception by neighbours quizzed on the thorny issue of the raucous rooster.

“I don’t know what the problem is – I think it’s a lovely sound in the morning. And if you don’t like it, just ignore him. We have children come down with their parents to see the birds and they’re very happy,” said Mr Axe.

Frank Armstrong traded the urban soundscape of central Manchester for Sturminster’s sonic tonic about two years ago. He has no problem with his noisy neighbour.

“I get in trouble for calling Sturminster Newton a village, but aren’t you supposed to hear sounds like this in the country?

“We only hear him in the summer when we have the windows open. He starts at about 4am, but I just turn over and go back to sleep. “My wife gets up for work about an hour later, so I’m used to early starts,” said Mr Armstrong.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/4545584.Noisy_Sturminster_Newton_cockerel_is_nothing_to_crow_about/