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As the Radio 4 www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/bellsonsunday
page now lists all previous towers and has stopped writing chatty information,
I shall discontinue this list, maintaining only the current Sunday tower on
my home page. Sorry folks!
15 Jan 2006 St. Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside in London ringing Bristol Surprise Maximus
8 Jan St Mary the Virgin,
Chislet in Kent. 6, 15-3-9 in Eb. Stedman Doubles.
1 Jan 2006 St Paul's Cathedral,
London Stedman Cinques.
25 Dec Howden Minster Stedman
Triples
18 Dec Sandhurst Kent Grandsire
Doubles
11 Dec Winchester Cathedral Erin
Sextuples
4 Dec Barnes, St Mary's
27 Nov Oxford St
Thomas-th-Martyr.
20 Nov Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos
Kent Treble Bob Major
13 November All Saints Church,
Fawley in Southampton. A new recording,
don't miss it.
6 Nov 2005 Rochester Cathedral,
Kent. "The first bells were probably in
the original Saxon cathedral founded by St Augustine in 604 AD. The tower was
rebuilt for the 1300th anniversary in 1904 to include eight bells. In 1921
the Dean and Chapter commissioned Gillett and Johnston of Croydon to recast
the existing eight bells and to add two more to bring the number of bells to
ten. They ring Stedman Caters. " and a
link to Rochester
Cathedral Company of Bell Ringers
30 October 2005 London, St Martin-in-the-Fields. 13 bells, tenor 29-1-1 "….. one of London's best known churches. In the
mid-eighteenth century the tower became one of the chief meeting-places of
the College Youths, but they moved from there early in the 19th century, and
since that time the tower has been the headquarters of the Society of Royal
Cumberland Youths. This Society was founded in 1747 and now provides regular
Sunday service ringing at St. Martin's and other London churches. The
"Cumberlands" are now heard ringing Yorkshire Surprise
Maximus."
Oh dear ! Oh dear ! Oh dear!
What have they done to the BBC Website now… They have cut Charles Thornton's
nice photo of the bells of Carlisle Cathedral and they have removed the informative
text which has told us about the bells being played that weekend. And the
links to some other ringing websites. What do we get in return? Just:
23 October 2005
Sunday 23 October 2005 5:43-5:45 (Radio 4 FM)
Repeated: Monday 24 October 2005 0:45-0:48 (Radio 4 FM)
A chance to hear the peal of the bells from St Mary's Church, Prescot,
Merseyside.
and the listen again button.
They are also now listing all
the other past programmes (just the church name, no listen again button).
What use is that, except perhaps to demonstrate the scarcity of recordings in
the archives, repeats come round every year or so at present?
23 October Prescot Merseyside. A quite nice 18 rows of rounds but cut before they got to
the promised Grandsire Triples. ? 1-11 shipping forecast, 44 secs of trail,
17 secs of BOS introduction, 40 secs of bells, all rounds, 4 secs ofBOS sign
off, 58 secs of News.
16 October Wambrook, Somerset. Blessed Virgin
Mary. 5 bells tenor 9cwt in A. another
recording which we have heard before - but nice to have an opportunity to
hear 5 bells. "The tenor weighs 8
cwt and is tuned to the key of A. It was cast in the 16th century by Thomas
Jefferies. There is a ring of 5 bells, with the oldest dating from the 14th
century. They ring Winchendon Place Doubles. "
9 October St Michael's Cornhill, London. 12
bells, tenor 42cwt-0-6lb in B. "
There's a ring of 12 bells, with the tenor weighing 42 cwt. The church was
almost completely destroyed in the Fire of London. The present tower was
completed in 1722 and the bells were hung in 1728. They ring Londinium
Surprise Maximus."
2 October 2005 West Monkton, Somerset. St
Augustine. This week's programme comes
from St. Augustine's Church, West Monkton in Somerset. In 1986 the 6 original
bells were re-hung in a steel frame and 2 more bells were added to form the
present ring of 8. The tenor weighs 18cwt. We hear them ringing a quarter
peal of 'Grandsire Triples'. Apparently
another new recording. What a pleasant surprise. Well done BBC…. And a good
long section too, so long in fact that the introduction was missed off the
'Listen Again' clip which starts in the middle of the bells.
25 September SMV Fordingbridge Hants, 8 bells
13cwt in F. A new recording at last.
But it has failed to appear on the BOS webpage which is still stuck on Far
Headingley. However the Listen Again facility works. They are ringing
half-muffled called changes.
18 Sept Far Headingley, Leeds, St Chads.
"From from St Chad's Church, Far Headingly, Leeds.
The church was built in 1867 and its spire reaches 186 feet high. There is a
ring of eight bells and the tenor weighs 18 cwt and is tuned to the key of
E." Last time they were ringing called
changes.
11 Sept Dunster, Somerset. Dunster, Somerset,
St George, 8 bells tenor 20-1-6 in E. "From the church of St George, Dunster in Somerset. There
is a ring of eight bells. They ring Yorkshire Surprise Major." Nice ringing. The website and the announcer managed to
reinvent an error and called it 'majors'. Oh dear, another one to chase up
again.
4 Sept 05 Eynesford, Kent. St Martin. 8 bells,
9-2-13 in F# "From St. Martin’s, Eynsford, Kent. The bells were first
hung in 1552 and only one of the original bells remains hanging in the tower.
It has a ring of 2 bells, with the tenor weighing 9 cwt. They are
ringing ‘Grandsire Triples’." This is
what the website says, yet another a repeat of the error which I told them
about in 2002 when they first used this recording, and again in 2004. I
managed to get it corrected before it went on air!
29 August Durham Cathedral The tower contains a ring of 10 bells. The tenor weighs
28cwt and is tuned to the key of D. They are ringing ‘Grandsire
Caters’."
22August Selby Abbey, Church of St Mary and St
German, North Yorkshire. 10 bells, tenor 25-2-20 in D. The bells were cast in 1909 by John Taylor with the
largest weighing 25 cwt. They ring Rounds and Call Changes. Another repeat of a previously played recording, very nice
called changes on the ten.
15 August St Lawrence Jewry, London. 8 bells
24-3-2 in Eb. "The church was built
by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire and its original ring of six
bells was increased to eight in 1710. However, when these bells were
destroyed in a fire in December 1940, the metal was saved and recast into the
present ring of eight. They ring Spliced Surprise Major". From 'Bells of London tape.
7 August 05 Tiverton, Devon. St Peter. 8 bells
tenor 25-2-18 in D. "The church
overlooks the River Exe and has one of the finest rings of eight, cast by
Taylors in 1923, in the county of Devon. They ring Grandsire Triples."
Probably a repeated track from the "Glorious
Devon Bells" CD.
Hythe, Kent: St Leonard's 10, 19-3-3 in Eb. "The original peal of eight
bells was augmented to 10 when the tenor was recast by The Whitechapel
Foundry in 1992 and two smaller bells provided." Some lovely ringing, but only on 8. Bristol I think, lots
of roll-ups. And a nice long clip for a change. Well done that man!
24 July York Minster. 14 bells, tenor 59-1-23 in Bb. "The Minster had two rings of bells up to the 17th
century: the heavy ring of eight in the South West Tower and the light ring
of four in the North West Tower. In 1656 they were combined into one ring of
12. They ring Plain Bob Triples."
17 July Torquay, St Mary the Virgin, St
Marychurch. 10 bells, 17-1-24 in E. "The
church is one of the three ancient parishes which make up Torquay in Devon
and was badly damaged during the Second World War and rebuilt in the 1950s.
It has a ring of ten bells, with the two Whitechapel trebles added to the old
Warner eight in 1989. They ring Erin Caters."
10 July 2005 Newbury, Berks, St. Nicholas. 10
bells, 21cwt in D. The 8 larger bells
were cast in 1803 by James Wells of Aldbourne in Wiltshire. In 1927 they were
re-tuned and then re-hung in a new frame. The two trebles were added in 1933.
3 July Limehouse, London. St Anne's. 8
bells, tenor 12-3-25 in E. Cambridge Surprise Major.
26 June Lamberhurst, Kent, St Mary. 6 bells,
13-0-17 in F#. "The tower has a ring
of six bells. The tenor weighs 13 cwt and is tuned to the key of F sharp. The
bells were cast in 1770 and were tuned and re-hung in 1925. They ring spliced
Plain and Little Bob Minor."
19 June 2005. Hurstbourne Priors, Hampshire. St Andrew, 18cwt in F "The non-ringable,
anti-clockwise six bells were tuned and augmented to eight by The Whitechapel
Foundry in 1999. They were rehung clockwise in a new steel frame by Whites of
Appleton. They ring a plain course of Plain Bob Major."
12 Sefton, Liverpool, St Helen's church 8
bells, tenor 11-2-11 in F#. This edition
comes from the ancient parish church of St. Helen's, Sefton, Liverpool which
dates back to 1170. There are 8 bells, with the oldest bell dating back to
1588. The tenor weighs 11¼ cwt and is tuned to the key of F sharp. We hear
them ringing 'Grandsire Triples'.
5 June Bollington, Cheshire. "There's a ring of eight bells, although only six will be
ringing on this occasion, with the tenor weighing 17cwt. The bells were cast in
1881 in Loughborough and were rehung in 1931. They ring Plain Bob
Doubles."
29 May Leeds, Kent again "From St Nicholas, Leeds in Kent. It has a ring of
ten bells, with the tenor weighing 17½cwt, tuned to the key of E. They ring
Kent Treble Bob Royal. "
22 May Ebrington Gloucestershire, St
Eadburgha, "There's a ring of six
bells, with the tenor weighing 12½ cwt, tuned to the key of F sharp. They
ring the often unheard Grandsire Minor." The usual clip off Saydisc "Bells of the
Cotswolds"
15 May Daresbury,
Cheshire. All Saints' Church "The parish is the birthplace of the
author Lewis Carroll, whose father, the Reverend Charles Dodgson was the
vicar there in 1832. The tower dates from 1550 and has a ring of 8 bells,
cast in 1913. The tenor is tuned to the key of E and weighs 16cwt. They ring
a series of rounds and call changes. "
8 May Bishopstoke, Hampshire St Mary's, will probably be again the recording off the very good Bells of Hampshire CD "The present bells are one of the few complete tens
to come from the Whitechapel foundry since 1945. They were cast in 1995 and
replaced a previous octave from a combination of founders. The tenor weighs
11 cwt and is tuned to G. They ring Stedman Caters."
1 May 2005 South Brent, Devon, St Petroc's
Church, 6 bells tenor 13-2-12 in F#. Wonderful West Country Called Changes. For quite a while I
thought it must be a computer generation but very slight hesitations proved
it genuine ringing. A lesson in really good rhythmical striking to most of
us. And a lovely long session too, this morning. Use the listen-again
facility any time this week to hear them ringing.
24 April Bledington, Glos, St Leonard's
Church. Last time this clip was played
they made a major (!) bloomer in the introduction…"There's a ring of six
bells, with the tenor weighing 9½ hundredweight. They ring Cambridge Surprise
Major." Let's hope there's been a Minor correction this time! …. well,
not in the morning broadcast but we managed to get a carrier pigeon into Broadcasting
House in time for a correction in the evening airing, and hopefully a more
permanent correction to the script for future use.Thanks chaps. Nice ringing.
Off the Bells of the Cotswolds Saydisc recording.
17 April Smithfield, London. St Bartholomew
the Great. "This edition comes from
St. Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield in London. Originally founded in 1123
as an Augustinian Priory, the church as it now stands consists of the East
end of the old Priory church. The five bells - cast by Thomas Bullisdon of
Aldgate in about 1510 - were preserved during the Reformation and rehung in
the present tower when it was built in 1628. They are the only complete
mediaeval ring of more then four from one founder still surviving in this
country. They ring Grandsire Doubles. "
Wonderful stuff, just listen to those proper 5
bell leads ~ from the Bells of London Saydisc recording.
10 April Tewkesbury Abbey. 13 bells tenor
27-1-5 in D (incl flat 6th) "The bells
are being rung by the ‘University of London Society of Change Ringers’. Up
until the beginning of the 20th century, there was a ring of 8 bells. In 1962
a new ring of 12 were cast and hung. The tenor bell weighs just over 27 cwt
and is tuned to the key of D. We hear them ringing now, ‘Stedman
Caters’"
3 April 2005 St. Mary's Church, Penwortham in
Preston, Lancashire. 8 bells 8-2-6 in A. "A
Benedictine Priory had existed in Penwortham since the 12th Century and the
church was added alongside in the early 14th century. The 15th century tower
held four change ringing bells in 1712, and in 1858 an additional bell was
installed, cast by Taylors of Loughborough. In 1926 the frame was
strengthened, the bells recast and two more bells added by Mears and Stainbank
at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. The bells were again recast in 1965 to
provide the peal we hear now ringing Yorkshire Surprise Major." In fact I don't believe these were heard, because of the
death of Pope John Paul II. I did not manage to stay awake to hear either
broadcast and the listen again facility was part of the Pope broadcast.
28 March Easter Sunday, St. Vedast, Foster
Lane in London. 6 bells 16-2-12 in F. "The
tower, which was rebuilt by Wren after the Great Fire, is one of the most
graceful in London. Its six bells were destroyed when the church was gutted
by fire in the air raid of December 1940, but a new ring of six was provided
from Whitechapel in 1963. The bells are heard here ringing Cambridge Surprise
Major by a band of ringers based at St. Mary Abbotts, Kensington. "
21 March Plymouth, Stoke Damerel, St Andrew, 8
bells, tenor 4-2-12 in D. A very light
eight, by the dockyard gates.
14 March 2005 Dublin, St Patrick's Cathedral. 14 bells tenor
45-1-18 in C. "The first record of
bells is in a papal petition from 1363. The cathedral was presented with a
peal of ten bells in 1897. The tenor bell weighs two and three quarter tons
and was rung every Sunday for many years by the Right Hon R R Cherry, Chief
Justice of Ireland, who presented two bells in 1909 to augment the peal to
twelve. In 1925 Lady Seeds Kaye added a top A bell in memory of her husband
and so there are 14 bells in the ringing peal." St Patrick's Day this week!
7 March 2005 Lymm,
Cheshire, St Mary the Virgin. "This
edition comes from St. Mary's Church, Lymm in Cheshire. Bells were first
mentioned at Penwortham in 1552 but the originals seem to have been given to
the Minister in 1636 as payment for looking after the tower's clock. In 1712
there were four bells at St. Mary's and they were recast into a ring of five
by Abraham Rudhall of Gloucester. In 1858 an additional bell was installed in
the tower and was followed in 1926 by the recasting of the bells and two more
being added by the Whitechapel bell foundry to make the full octave peal
which we hear now. " 8 bells, tenor
29-3-8 in Db. Probably another repeat, if so Grandsire Triples, I think; nice
ringing.
27 Feb St.
Mary Redcliffe, Bristol. 12 Bells,
tenor 50-2-21 in Bb. "Most of the 12 bells were cast in 1903 with
numbers 8 and 10 dated 1763, number 11 from 1622 and two additional bells
from 1951 and 1970. The full twelve bells are heard now ringing Little Bob
Maximus."
20 Feb 2005 London, St Martin-in-the-Fields.
13 bells, tenor 29-1-1 "This edition
comes from St. Martin in the Fields, one of London's best known churches. In
the mid-eighteenth century the tower became one of the chief meeting-places
of the College Youths, but they moved from there early in the 19th century,
and since that time the tower has been the headquarters of the Society of
Royal Cumberland Youths. This Society was founded in 1747 and now provides
regular Sunday service ringing at St. Martin's and other London churches. The
"Cumberlands" are now heard ringing Yorkshire Surprise
Maximus." With an introduction this
long we shall be lucky to hear more than a couple of changes on the actual
bells!
13 Feb 2005 Andover, Hants. S Mary, 8, 15-0-21 in F. "A chance to hear the peal of the Parish church of St.
Mary, Andover in Hampshire. It has a ring of 8 bells with the tenor weighing
fifteen cwt and tuned to the key of F. The bells were originally cast in 1758
and were retained when the whole church was rebuilt. We hear them ring
Stedman Triples" From the very fine
Hampshire Bells CD.
6 Feb Alverstoke, Hants. 8 bells 13-1-19 in F#
"From St Mary with St Faith and St
Francis of Alverstock (sic) in Hampshire. The church has a ring of eight
bells which hang in a tower that was built in 1904 to commemorate the end of
the South African War. The tenor weighs 13 cwt and is tuned to the key of F
sharp. They ring Grandsire Triples." A
repeat of an old recording, but not from the very excellent CD of Hampshire
bells.
30 Jan Burford Oxon. 8 bells. Nice, Double Norwich Major.
23 Jan Ilmington, Warwickshire. 8 bells
12-3-26 in E. These bells were
augmented from 6 about 3 years ago but we will probably be treated to the old
recording off 'Cotswold Bells' P B Doubles if I remember rightly. Yes it wasstill the old 6, and a mingy snatch of 25
changes only!
16 Jan Tavistock, Devon. St Eustachius 8
bells, 24-0-5 in D "Before the
Reformation, Tavistock was dominated by its great abbey, very little of which
remains. However, the tower of the parish church, dedicated to St.
Eustachius, was originally also the gateway to the abbey cemetery. The bells
were augmented to ten in celebration of the start of the third millennium. We
hear them ringing Grandsire Caters."
9 Jan Stow-on-the-Wold,
Glos. St. Edward's "It has a ring of 8 bells, with the tenor
weighing 27¾ cwt, tuned to the key of D. They ring 'Gloucestershire Triples'.
" Well I THINK it is a typo for
Grandsire Triples. Listen carefully!
2 January 2005 Westminster Abbey 10 bells,
30-1-15 in D "Bells on Sunday comes
from Westminster Abbey in London. It has a ring of ten bells, with the tenor
weighing 30¼cwt. We hear them ringing now, 'Stedman Caters'. "
2004 2003 2002
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