Bell Ringing

If you would like to learn how to ring the bells in the Church Tower, then come along to a practice:

1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month at 7:30 in the Church Tower.

For more information contact Winston

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bells have been rung regularly over the last 12 months and several visitors have made comments about the peal, describing them as a glorious eight and ‘going’ very well in view of the overall weight – some four and one half tons in total.

Extensive work to stabilise the ageing wooden bell frame by Winston and Carol Girling during 2003 has proved beneficial and since then it is easier to keep the woodwork tightened. This does not alter the fact that the wooden frame has reached the end of its useful life (well over 100 years) and as the bells all swing in the same direction it will be necessary long term to seriously look at rehanging the bells in a new steel frame.

With major help from the Suffolk Guild Belfry Advisory Committee members and other ringers this exercise would not be too expensive. Rehanging the bells in a configuration designed to reduce stresses transmitted to the tower will also extend the life of the tower itself and should put off indefinitely a repeat of the major work required during 1993/4.

We have managed, with help from the Buxhall and Old Newton ringers, to ring the bells for most Services and special occasions. We do still need more people coming forward to learn to ring and enquiries from anyone interested will be most welcome.

Five groups of ringers visited our tower, as follows:

Norfolk
Bucks and Northants
Butlins East Anglia Ringing Tour (ringers from USA)
Kent/Sussex
Ely District.

On 28th September, 2004, the Church Men’s Group visited the tower and Josephine Beever, the deputy tower captain gave a tour of the tower and a talk and demonstration on bell ringing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

top