Until 1999 the church possessed a ring of five bells hung anti-clockwise in a two-tier timber frame. The poor condition of the installation being such that the bells had been unringable for many years. The old 3rd was a medieval C14 bell from the Salisbury foundry. It has been retained as a service bell; also retained is the tonally
poor W. Tosier bell, currently situated on the floor of the church.
With financial assistance from the Ringing in the Millennium scheme, a new ring of six bells was installed and dedicated on 5th December 1999. The weight of the tenor is now 7-0-14 and its note is Bb. The three surplus bells from the ring of five should go to new homes.
Speke, Merseyside
All Saints
The Merseyside Bell Restoration Group are hoping to install a ring of bells at Speke parish church. The Trust is donating the old Tollard Royal treble to the project where it should become the 3rd of the ring of six. The MBRG are a registered charity who help churches in the Merseyside area to restore, augment or install bells. Link to the Merseyside Bell Restoration Group web site.
The Royal Opera House
One of the most unusual enquiries the Trust has had for bells was from the Royal Opera House. They needed two bells quickly and of specific notes for an opera production in Vienna. By chance their requirements could be met by the old 2nd and tenor bells at Tollard Royal. A site visit was organised to the church, where the bells still hung and a deal was struck. The bells were removed, slightly re-tuned and shipped to Vienna within a few weeks of the initial enquiry.
