Ringing at St Peter’s
What activity can provide you with:-
- A life-long learning experience
- Maintaining a traditional skill
- A service to the church
- A team activity
- A stimulating mental activity
- A group of friends country-wide.
St. Peter’s has a fine ring of 8 bells, with the tenor (the heaviest bell) weighing 9cwt.
The existing band are very friendly and we warmly welcome new ringers. We practise on Monday evenings and ring prior to the 10:00am Sunday morning service. Bell ringing is a wonderful hobby that exercises both mind and body. You can do it at almost any age from about 12 upwards, requiring technique (more than strength), plus a reasonable sense of rhythm.
If you think this is a hobby that might be of interest, please contact Stuart Tomlinson via the parish office, who would be happy to tell you more about bellringing and to give you a tour of the bells.
Bell Ropes Appeal
Do you enjoy the unique sound of the St Peters Church bells? And would you like to help us to keep them sounding good? We are looking for help from people like you to buy a new set of bell ropes.
The current ropes are a bit tired and have had several repairs over recent years.
They are now in need of replacing. After all they are over seven years old and have been pulled at least a million times. The ropes for our eight bells are used each Monday evening for practice and every Sunday before the morning service. You will hear regular Sunday evening quarter peals too. We are proud that St Peters is one of the leading towers in the world for quarter peals, both annually and in total. The bells are also rang for weddings, and special events – for example Christmas Day and the Coronation.
Each rope will cost around £250, so the total cost will be £2000. We had hoped to get some help from the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, but unfortunately it has now closed. So that is why we have set up a JustGiving page for donations. Please take a look to find out more and do give what you can – and please share with your friends in the local community too.
As a thank you, on Sunday 17th May we’ll be celebrating Bell Sunday, chosen as the nearest Sunday to St Dunstan’s Feast Day, the patron saint of ringing. The bells will be rung, and after the service there will be an opportunity to learn more about the art of bellringing, see the bell ropes – and even the chance to have a go yourself – with the help of experts. And, later in the year we will be organising tours up the Tower to see the bell installation. They are surprisingly complex – a bit like a Meccano kit for grown-ups!
Look out for more information nearer the day, but in the meantime thank you for your support.
Stuart Tomlinson, Bell Captain
and the St Peters Bellringers
To donate to the bell rope fund, see: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/stpetersnewbellropes