News and Events Archive

For future events please go to the Forthcoming Events page

You can see more pictures of past events on the Gallery page

Past Newsletters published during the main part of the project can be accessed here: June 2019, September 2019, November 2019, January 2020, June 2020, October 2020, December 2020

To enquire about future events or to arrange a talk, visit or presentation please contact the Tower Captain or the Tower Secretary

In memoriam Kate Greenall

A quarter peal was rung on 31st October 2023 to commemorate the life of Kate Greenall, previously a member of the band and regular worshipper at St Michael & All Angels. You can see details of the ringing here

Heritage Weekend

The second weekend in September is celebrated across the country as 'Heritage Weekend', with many historic places being open to the public. This gave an opportunity for local people to come and see areas of the Belltower which are not usually visible. This year a number of visitors took advantage of the offer to discover a bit about bellringing and also to see the view from the parapet.

First Quarter Peal on 10 by a local band

On 16th July 2023 a band of local ringers achieved the first quarter peal on the newly augmented ten bells, ringing Grandsire Caters together for the first time. You can see the details here
The ringers were:

1 Nicky Seabright
2 Alan Bagworth
3 Keith Anderson
4 John C Slater
5 David Parker
6 Rachel Coates
7 William N Evans
8 Frank Seabright
9 Roy D Mills (C)
10 Tim Keyes

Rainbows and Brownies visit the Tower

In June we welcomed parties of young Brownies and even younger Rainbows who were eager to find out about what happens in the Tower. They visited the clock and saw how a bell is rung: the newly installed CCTV allowed them to watch the bell 'live' from the safety of the ringing room, the stairs beyond that level being a bit precarious for their short legs! They found out a lot about the bells from a quiz in the Exhibition space, most of them had a try at chiming a bell (with a bit of help!) and they very much enjoyed watching their leaders try out the training bell.

Tower Spring Cleaning

Now that the new installation is complete it is important that the bells and all their fittings are well maintained. One of the problems in a bell tower is the accumulation of dust from the stonework, so keeping the tower clean is a regular responsibility. In early June a number of the ringers tackled all the levels of the Tower, from the exhibition space up to the belfry, with vacuum cleaners, brushes and cloths.

The first Peal on the newly augmented 10

The addition of the two new bells to the tower means that we now have the possibility of ringing methods on all ten bells. Our own band is not yet sufficiently experienced to ring a full peal on these methods (which are called Caters, when 9 bells ring a method with the tenor behind, or Royal when all 10 bells are working) We were therefore delighted on 8th May 2023 to welcome 9 visitors who joined one of our own ringers for the first peal on 10 bells. They successfully completed the peal of Grandsire Caters in commemoration of the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla. You can find the details of the peal on BellBoard

The band was:
1 Robert C Kippin
2 Hilda C Ridley
3   Richard J Clements
4   Darran Ricks
5   Frederick Shallcross
6   Roy D Mills
7   Bernard H Taylor (C)
8   Daniel Jones
9   Ashley C Fortey
10 Malcolm P Taylor

The Coronation of King Charles III

On 6th May 2023 the bells of Ledbury rang out as did others all over England to mark the Coronation of King Charles III. Among the band were three new ringers who will be proud to remember the part they played in the celebrations.

Ring out the old, ring in the new

Alfred, Lord Tennyson immortalised the idea of ringing out the old year (usually on muffled bells) and ringing in the new in his poem 'Ring out Wild Bells'. To welcome 2023 some of the ringers met at midnight to ring for a short while in honour of this old tradition.

Marking the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

On Thursday, 8th September 2022 the death of Her Majesty the Queen was announced in the early evening. Following this sad announcement preparations began for the various events which are set down by protocol (under the code name 'Operation London Bridge'), amongst which were plans for ringing in a way appropriate both to mourn the passing of a much loved monarch, but also to celebrate the proclamation of King Charles III. The ringers also assisted in the replacement of our usual flag of St George with the Union flag which now flies at half-mast from the tower (except for a short period to coincide with the proclamation of the new Monarch)
The first piece of commemorative ringing took place on Friday at 12 noon when, in common with bellringers in churches across the country, the ringers of St Michael's rang the bells fully muffled for just under an hour. The bells had to be prepared in advance, with leather 'muffles' tied onto both sides of each clapper, with the exception of that of the tenor (the heaviest bell), where only one side is muffled. When the bells are rung you can therefore hear an open 'dong' sound on alternate strokes of the tenor. We rang only in 'rounds' (a descending scale of notes) either on 6, 8 or 7 bells: unfortunately one of the muffles became displaced early on so we had to leave that bell out - if you watch the video by selecting the button below you may notice a larger than usual gap in the ringing circle!
Ringing for such an auspicious occasion is a great honour and the ringers are grateful to have played their part in marking the passing of our much loved Queen.
The next event will be to ring 'open' (the usual, unmuffled, sound of the bells) for a short while after the Ledbury proclamation of King Charles III on Sunday evening, after which there is likely to be no ringing until the day of the Queen's funeral.

Video of Muffled ringing

Celebrating Ledbury Carnival

The Ledbury ringers try to engage with all the major Ledbury events (Community Day, Poetry Festival, Carnival) in order to share their enthusiasm for ringing and for the heritage and history behind what is sometimes called 'the exercise'. Ledbury Carnival 2022 took place on a sunny August bank holiday weekend with the usual floats, fairground rides and stalls - and the ringers took the opportunity to have conversations with many passers by, most of whom were fascinated to hear more about the bells.

Ledbury Citizen of the Year

Philip Howells presents the award

There must be cake at an award ceremony!

In August 2022 Tim Keyes (Tower Captain) was named a 'Citizen of the Year' by Mayor Philip Howells. Philip has shown a keen interest in the project and, with his particular commitment as mayor to the young people of Ledbury, recognises that ringing is an activity with potential to engage youngsters if it is well promoted and resourced with good facilities. The Ledbury Bells Project has had these aims at its heart and this award recognises Tim's part in making education such an important part of the campaign. At the award ceremony, held at the Tower, Tim was quick to point out that the project was very much a team effort. The Citation read:
Tim Keyes was nominated for his outstanding work in leading the Bells Project to the magnificent achievement of renovating and restoring the church bells and for the fundraising of nearly £300,000 for the project over a period of 3 years. This was a mammoth task which will ensure the church bells in Ledbury ring out in celebration and remembrance for at least the next 100 years, whilst also providing a touching, timely, poignant and affirming way to recognise and repeatedly celebrate, each time the bells are rung, the very many people across our community who came together to help one another throughout the pandemic.

Tim, the Tower Captain, has himself been very generous in acknowledging that many people have contributed to this achievement, but every project of this nature needs an energetic, inspiring and persistent leader who has the vision in focus and helps the team-work towards its fulfilment. All will agree that it was Tim who provided that essential leadership.

Ledbury Community Day

Ledbury Community Day, held every June, is an occasion on which many associations and organisations in the town showcase their activities, enabling the community to find out more about the opportunities on offer and, in the case of ringing, to get a glimpse 'behind the scenes' at what goes on in the Tower. Tours of the tower were on offer throughout the day and 130 people came to see us in action and find out (maybe for the first time) how the bells are rung. There was also a chance to have a go at ringing the 'Wombel', the portable outdoor training bell which was on show under the Market House: we now also have a similar dummy bell for use in the Tower. This training facility within the tower was made possible through a generous donation by some local bellringers, and greatly enhances our ability to teach beginners.

Tower Tours begin

One of the key commitments of the project was to enhance the ability of the ringers to share their knowledge not only of ringing itself but also of the history and heritage associated with their hobby. The National Lottery Heritage fund's grant facilitated the new exhibition space, the repairs to the steps and the improved access to the belfry and parapet which are all part of this endeavour. Tours are offered to local groups, for example U3A and the Friends of the Church, to the Community as a whole on Community day (see the separate item above) and on an individual basis as part of a 'bellringing experience' .

Awards to the Team

Richard Clements presents Tim with the George Cousins cup

Two members of the project team received awards at the Hereford Diocesan Guild of Bellringers AGM. Tower Captain Tim Keyes accepted the George Cousins Cup on behalf of the Tower, awarded by the Bell Repair Fund for the most improved ringing facilities in the Guild. Frank Seabright, District Master, received the Master’s Plate in recognition of his long service to ringing education.

Guild Master Nick Cronin makes the award to Frank

Volunteers are still busy

The Ledbury Bells Project relied heavily on the involvement of volunteers, for which the ringers are enormously grateful. There is, however, continual maintenance and cleaning needed if the installation is to be kept in the best possible order. Ringers and others turned out in May 2022 for the first of what are planned to be bi-annual cleaning 'days', with the added incentive of substantial refreshments!

Saying “thank you” to our donors and supporters

Unveiling the plaque 15th March 2022

We have now completed the mounting of a number of plaques to record the generosity of donors and supporters. A large brass plaque in the base of the tower records, in over 200 entries, the names of individuals, couples, families, local businesses, organisations and charitable trusts who have helped us. Many others elected to remain anonymous. We are deeply grateful to all. On the bell frame, there are two smaller bronze plaques relating to the sponsorship of clock hammers and of the extension of the frame to accommodate the extra bells. A fine piece of calligraphy in the ringing room records the names of all those who sponsored items relating to that area. Six of the bells have either cast or engraved inscriptions recognising the generosity of those sponsored them. All in all, we have created in various parts of the tower a lasting testimony to the enabling generosity of a host of people. You can see here a short film which summarises all of this.

Those whose donations funded clock hammers by 'naming a note' have their names recorded on the frame

Getting back into the swing

The confidence of ringers nationally suffered during the long lay-off while Covid was such a concern. We are pleased to say that we have not lost any of our ringers but some are not as fit or as confident as they were before the lock-down in March 2020. That said, we have been able ring 6 bells very competently every Sunday morning and have usually been able to ring all 10 bells as part of each Tuesday practice. The pictures show the bands for two of the three quarter peals that we have so far completed successfully this year.

Visitors begin to arrive

The pandemic has restricted the intended programme of tower open events but we have been able to take a number of small groups up the tower. Typically, they will spend a little time looking at the ground-floor exhibition before proceeding up to the ringing room. Here they will see the training bell in action, watch a short film, hear all about the key features of this room where ringing has been happening for centuries and then have a short and colourful lesson on the mysteries of change ringing. They will then ascend a further flight of stone steps to the clock room and, if the timing is right, see the carillon in action. The next level up is the bellchamber which is an extraordinary sight if you have never seen bells up close before. It is a place full of fascinating features. A further set of wooden steps takes you up to the parapet and unrivalled views of Ledbury and the surrounding area. All in all, a memorable time which we want many local people and visitors to experience over the months and years ahead.

A service of re-dedication of the bells and commissioning of the bellringers

On the evening of 14th October 2021, in a long-delayed event, Bishop Richard joined us once again to take part in a service of celebration for the successful completion of our project. It was a wonderful evening. A choir of experienced singers gave a strong lead and also sang an introit specially composed for the occasion by local bellringer and musician Simon Peberdy. The act of dedication included the symbolic handing of a bell rope to the bishop to be blessed. The event was preceded and followed by open ringing for bellringers from around the region, and attracted some of the very best exponents of the skill from Worcestershire and Herefordshire. A wonderful tea, featuring the delicious savouries of Helen I'Anson and an extraordinary display of bell-themed cup cakes made by Kaye Fahey, will long be remembered. A film of the event can be found here and there are more photos on the gallery page. If you would like to see the order of service, a PDF will open if you click here.

The Bishop blesses the tower and its activities

On the 15th September, 2021, the Bishop of Hereford arrived mid-morning on his motorbike to carry out simple ceremonies first in the bellchamber and then in the ringing room. Using words written for the occasion by Mary Anne Keyes who is both a bellringer and a Reader in the church, he blessed the bells and all our activities in the tower and prayed for our safety, and for our work of calling people to worship. You can find a short video of the event here.

Odes to the Ledbury bells

Ledbury does not often find itself doing something of national or international importance, but once a year it holds a Poetry Festival that attracts poets and performers from all over the world. How could a major heritage project be completed in Ledbury, therefore, without poetry playing a part? After all, the last major campaign to raise money for the bells in 1951 was led by Poet Laureate John Masefield who was a local man. Tim Keyes, the Tower Captain, set himself the task of writing a poem to each of the ten Ledbury bells. If this seems a slightly crazy idea, there is some method in his madness. Each bell has its own particular history – the time in which it was cast or re-cast, the names and identities of any donors, the detail of other inscriptions and so on. Each bell also has its own quirks – the Ledbury bells certainly had some behavioural issues before they were given a proper going over in the recent project. Rather than try to describe all these elements in laborious prose, Tim has tried to sum up the essential features of each bell in a short poem. This set of poems has recently been published and will be made available to all who come to our service of rededication of the bells on October 14th, and thereafter by request.

The first ever ten-bell practice night in Ledbury tower

Back in the 16th century, we know that there were five bells in the church tower in Ledbury. In 1690, Abraham Rudhall of Gloucester cast eight new bells to replace these. In December 2020, over 300 years later, this number was increased to 10. Covid restrictions did not allow us to ring all 10 bells until after July 19th, so on Tuesday 20th July they sounded out for the first time (bar a brief test ring when the bells were installed last December). They sound wonderful, and handle well too. To hear and see them, please click here

A new permanent exhibition is launched

The £100,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund was secured primarily to support a programme of education and of promotion of the historical and cultural elements of bellringing in our town as well as in our country. The church tower of St Michael and All Angels is a 13th century building full of fascinating features, some of which are to do with bells and many of which are not. Up to now, very few people apart from ringers and workmen had ever crossed the threshold. The ground floor had long been used as an all-purpose storage area for the church. It did not seem right to treat one of Ledbury’s finest historic buildings in this way! When we put on a show called Ringing the Changes in the local theatre in October 2019, it occurred to us that all the work we did in research for this could be used to mount an exhibition in the tower about the history and practice of bellringing. A team was assembled and this resulted in the production of 16 pull-up display banners as well as a number of wall-mounted items and a large screen linked to cameras throughout the tower. As you enter the tower you immediately see a 5 metre high painting (printed on perspex) by local artist Caroline Green which gives an artist’s impression of what goes on at each level of the building. On a glorious summer evening on 23rd June, a small gathering (Covid-restricted of course) witnessed the formal opening of the space. Since then a steady stream of visitors has encouraged us to think that we have made a really valuable addition to the tourist attractions of the town. To see a film of the launch of this special area please click here

Engraving the bells

Traditionally bells bear inscriptions to tell future generations something of their history. This may be the name of their donors, or something related to the time in which they were cast such as a plague or the the ending of a war. This information, and other decoration, is included in the casting of a new bell and so it appears on the finished surface in relief. Until recently there was no way of adding information such as this to an existing bell, but it is now possible to have words inscribed upon the surface of a bell by engraving, and this has now been done for four of the 'old' bells in the tower.
The cost of the refurbishment of three of the bells has been met by the generous sponsorship of donors. Their names, or in one case a dedication to a member of their family, are now engraved on the bells and become, like any other inscription, part of the history of each bell. We decided to commission a special engraved inscription for a fourth bell, the number 9, which would commemorate something about the times in which we live. That inscription reads as follows: WITH COMPASSION FOR THE SUFFERING CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND TO HONOUR ALL WHO HAVE SUSTAINED OUR COMMUNITY 2020
Engraving bells is a specialist art and we think there is only one practitioner in the country, Paul Edwards. We are grateful for his care and enthusiasm in the work he has undertaken. If you would like to see him at work, you can view a short video here.

The bells are heard again

Apart from a brief period running up to Christmas 2020, we have only been permitted by Covid-19 regulations to ring a single bell on Sunday mornings. No practices have been allowed. Finally, on the 18th May, it was possible to ring up to six bells and so we had our first proper practice since the bells were re-installed. Our fears that we would be, and sound, very rusty were unnecessary and we managed to strike the bells very evenly as we rang some simple methods on the light front six bells. Those who know about ringing and its jargon may be interested to know that the first touch rung on the bells since the re-installation was 120 changes of Plain Bob Doubles.

Fun with bells

Fun with Bells is a regular monthly podcast presented by Cathy Booth who interviews people who have interesting stories to tell about some aspect of bellringing. It is intended both for the bellringing community and for those who might simply be intrigued by different aspects of this unusual pastime. The interviewee for May 2021 is our own Tower Captain, Tim Keyes, who relates the story of the Ledbury Bells project. You can listen to the interview here.
https://funwithbells.com/tk/

A local company helps out…

Before the Bells Project could begin, a lot of “stuff” needed to be cleared out of the tower. Much of this was given away or recycled but there were many items for which we needed temporary storage. This included all the furniture and fittings from the ringing room, including commemorative boards that were mounted on the walls, as well as ringing related kit such as bell ropes and muffles. Since we were on a tight budget, we approached John Heard and Ledbury Self Storage and asked if it might be possible for us to have free storage there for a few months. He readily agreed, not knowing at the time that Covid-19 would stretch these few months to well over a year. In late April 2021, we were finally able to retrieve all these safely stored items and restore them to their places in the tower. Another team of volunteers came forward to make all this possible. We are deeply grateful to John Heard and Ledbury Storage. They are yet another company who have helped us along the way in this complex project.

The Tower Captain and the District Master retrieve some of the peal boards

Items are winched up through the new trap door

Bringing the Project to a conclusion

The Ledbury Bells project is close to completion. The generosity of the local community has enabled us to reach our fundraising target of close to £300,000 over a period of three years. This is a magnificent achievement. We are hugely grateful to all who contributed. A donor board on the ground floor of the tower will recognise the support that we have received.
A new storage area has been created in the Clock Room which will enable us to organise ringing-related kit and all that we need for cleaning and maintenance.
The new simulator is being installed. This will allow us to ring the bells without disturbing our neighbours when we want to hold extra training sessions for learners.
The exhibition space on the ground floor of the tower is close to completion. This will be an excellent introductory experience for visitors.
The ringing room is yet to be furnished. We will shortly be able to install a new carpet, door curtain, blinds and seat cushions. We also need to reinstate all the previous wall fixtures such as peal boards and other dedicatory items.
There will be a service of dedication for the restored and augmented bells on Tuesday July 6th at 7.00 pm when the Bishop of Hereford will join us.

The new storage area in the clock room, specially designed to take lidded containers: important in this dusty environment

Marking the anniversary of the first lockdown
(March 23rd 2020 – March 23rd 2021)

Along with many other towers across the country, we tolled a bell to mark the anniversary of the first Covid-19 “lockdown” which began in March 2020. The year that followed was very challenging for the world, our country and countless families and individuals. You can see a short film here which records the event. https://youtu.be/110Sp73iFLg

Putting the finishing touches to the frame

The work of the bellhangers and of the duo from the Cumbria Clock Company who reinstalled the clock and carillon hammers inevitably left the bell frame scuffed and scraped in places. Exposed metal quickly shows signs of corrosion in what can often be a damp atmosphere in the bell chamber, so a small team of volunteers was assembled to finish off the work. This was more challenging than one might think since getting into the heart of the bell frame with so many bits of metal and wood in the way, not to mention the bells themselves, required many contortions! You can see a short film here which records the activity. https://youtu.be/jWK0-E9m0V

A Tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore

Churches and cathedrals across the land were encouraged to ring a single bell at midday on Sat 27th February, the day of the funeral of this remarkable man who, shortly before his 100th birthday, was determined to do his bit to raise money for the NHS. He walked 100 lengths of his garden. This caught the imagination of the media and the nation and resulted in donations totalling £32 million. He was knighted by the Queen in July 2020. He died in February 2021. You will find a short film here about the tolling of a bell at Ledbury in his memory. https://youtu.be/TEmZhxllKbg

Clock and Carillon restored

The work on the bells necessitated the complete removal of the hammers and wires by which the clock chimes operate and the hymn tunes are played. 22 wires attach these hammers to the to the clock mechanism and to the drum of the carillon (more properly called an ‘extended chime’, but locally always referred to as a carillon!). All the bells have more than one hammer, as the time taken for the hammer to reset is too long to allow two notes to sound close together, as required by many of the hymn tunes and (in the case of one bell) by the Westminster chimes. The funding of the restoration of all 22 hammers was entirely covered by sponsorship as many local people responded to the appeal to ‘Give your Name to a Note’.
The hammers on the bells must be lifted away before the bells can be rung full circle. In the past this has necessitated considerable human effort as they were pulled off manually from below. In the new system this job is achieved by an electrical barring-off mechanism operated by a single switch: a great relief to the ringers!
The clockmakers, The Cumbria Clock Company, completed this work on 4th Feb and carried out the first full sounding of the chimes and the hymn tunes on that day. It has been heartwarming to see the response on the local Facebook page to the return of this feature of Ledbury life. To see a video of the clock chimes and carillon in action you can click here.

New Bells sound out for the first time

Hear the new bells

After the delivery of the bells, and the brief blessing and dedication (see below), in order for the Church to sign off the project with Whites it was necessary to ring all the bells in the different combinations which we will commonly use. Since this was part of the work, permission was given for ten local ringers to test ring the bells. On the afternoon of December 3rd a rather ‘rusty’ band of volunteers met to ring the new peal for the first time. Out of consideration for the locals, and to enable the performance of the bells to be better assessed, they were rung up singly. Rounds on the full ten were followed by rounds on the back eight and finally rounds and some simple changes on the light front six. All the ringers present expressed their pleasure at both the sound and the mechanical performance of the bells. You can hear the test ring here.
Sadly, due to the continuing restrictions imposed by Covid, we were still unable to ring more than one bell at a time during lockdown.
For a brief period during which Ledbury found itself in Tier 1, service ringing was permitted, although with the usual Covid precautions in place. This allowed us to ring 5 well-spaced bells plus one, as the ringers included one married couple. It wasn’t perhaps the musical experience we would have hoped for as a start on the new bells, but it was a pleasure to be able to ring for a Sunday service and for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
With the reintroduction of restrictions we are now once again unable to meet to practice or ring together for services, but it is permitted to chime or toll a single bell for services. Except during the work on the clock and carillon it has been possible to announce the morning service at St Michael’s with ten minutes of tolling, which gives an opportunity to try out the sound and feel of the new bells, even if only one at a time. It is also a good way to test the muscle memory!

Bells installed and ready to ring!

On Thursday 26th November, Whites of Appleton, the bellhangers, completed their work on the bells and declared them ready to ring! The installation has gone very smoothly. The bells were collected from their workshop in Oxfordshire by ABE of Ledbury who kindly donated their time, staff and a lorry. The bells arrived outside the church on the morning of 9th November and were lined up in order of size and note. We would have liked to have displayed the bells in the church for the public to see over a weekend, but Covid-19 restrictions made this impossible. Instead, we held a short outdoor ceremony which was attended by the donors of new bells and the sponsors of refurbished bells. You can see a video here of the arrival of the Remembrance Bell, its ascent to its place in the bell frame and its first sounding just after 11.00am on Remembrance Day.

'Thank you!' to an Army of Volunteers

The contribution of volunteers to the Ledbury Bells Project has amounted, collectively, to thousands of hours of work by up to fifty individuals. Some helped put to devise and put on a special show in the Market Theatre, others sanded and painted the bell frame or cleaned up the whole inside of the tower once all the work was done. Others, again, helped the bellhangers (Whites of Appleton) in their work or painted and varnished woodwork in the ringing room. Others have done research and planning for the many items that will go in our exhibition area on the ground floor of the tower, or been involved in the writing and illustration of a comprehensive leaflet to explain the importance of bellringing, not only in Ledbury but in the country as a whole. The whole project has been planned and overseen for the last two and half years by a team of five volunteers who have given countless hours to ensuring that our detailed planning was brought to fruition and that we raised the funds to meet the cost of the project. You can see a video here about the contribution of volunteers.

Tower and Bell Project nearing Completion

In spite of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic we are delighted to be nearing the final stages of the project. The repair work on the tower steps and on the threshold of the outer tower door has been carried out by the stonemasons to a high standard and, with the new rails fitted to the internal stairs, will allow much safer access not only to the ringing room and the clock room but also to the belfry itself and the parapet. Other high quality carpentry includes repairs to the ancient door to the ringing room and the creation of a new trapdoor and a storage cupboard. All the building work was carried out or overseen by D.A. Cook of Evesham.
Thanks to the internal redecoration and extensive rewiring, everywhere is lighter and cleaner. The new exhibition area at the base of the tower will boast artwork by local artist Caroline Green and displays designed by Joyce Mason based on research by Celia Kellett and Tim Keyes which will tell the story of bells and bellringing in Ledbury. The grant from the National Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled us to develop the teaching of the practice as well as the theory of ringing, with the installation of a training bell in the ringing room. We look forward to welcoming many local residents to 'have a go' at this fascinating and rewarding hobby.

The Bells return to Ledbury

The bells returned to Ledbury at the end of the first week in November and will be rehung in the tower by the middle of the month. Sadly due to Covid rules it will not be possible to hold a public event at which the people of Ledbury, many of whom contributed generously to the 'Bell to Remember' as well as sponsoring other items of the refurbishment, will be able to see the new bells close-up. We do plan, however, to have a celebratory service in the early summer, when the rules allow, at which we can also show off the many refurbishments and repairs to the tower, and also formally open the new exhibition space with its information about bells and bellringing. Ringing is also suspended during the current lockdown, although residents may well hear some 'bongs' as the bells are lifted into the tower and tested by the bellhangers. We very much look forward to being able to ring the new ten as soon as the Covid restrictions are lifted.

The ten bells awaiting transfer to the tower

Work able to restart!

The work for the restoration and augmentation project was due to begin on 16th March but was suspended due to the Coronavirus lockdown. We had very much hoped that when the bells were removed this would give a rare opportunity for the people of Ledbury to get a close-up view of these historic instruments. Unfortunately this was not possible due to social distancing requirements and the ban on large gatherings even in the open air.
The bells were removed from the tower by the bellhangers, Whites of Appleton, using to good effect the steel beams (see below) installed by Cooks. Cooks are also carrying out necessary building and electrical work in the tower, which is well underway.
Transport of the bells was courtesy of ABE transport, for whose generosity we are very grateful.

While in lockdown....

One thing that can proceed is our planning for the content of the exhibition area which will be on the ground floor. This will trace the history of the bells in Ledbury and also focus on a number of key themes. We would love to see some creative work here, too, from local people: poetry, pictures and drawings. Perhaps the pictures below will get your ideas moving…

First Stage. Installing the steel lifting beams.

Work has been suspended on the bell project for the time being, but only after a start was made by both the main contractors. The clock / carillon hammers have all been removed and taken away for repair and refurbishment and two steel beams have been installed permanently above the bells so that they can be lowered and raised again once the work resumes.

The work begins - clearing the tower

The first step in the refurbishment and augmentation project took place on 19th February as the ringers met to clear the ringing room and the base of the tower in preparation for the contractors. We are extremely grateful to John Heard at Ledbury Storage for the provision of a free storage unit. This sort of gift-in-kind is tremendously helpful to the project.
The base of the tower will become an exhibition space funded principally by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The ringing room will be greatly improved with new state of the art teaching equipment as well as considerable re-decoration and refurnishing.

The Last Peal on the 'Old Eight'

On Thursday 13th February a peal of 5056 changes of Plain Bob Major was rung on the eight bells. The band included three of our local ringers, one of whom was the Tower Captain Tim Keyes. To see the official record please click here. The peal was successfully completed in 3 hours 15 minutes. It was gratifying to read so many positive comments on the 'Voice of Ledbury' Facebook page!

Generous sponsorship by 'Sitara' restaurant

On Tuesday 11th February 40 people enjoyed a wonderful meal courtesy of the Sitara restaurant in Ledbury. The owner, Mr Dunu Miah, very generously provided a three course meal, with extras, at no cost to the ringers. This allowed us to make a profit from the sale of tickets (and a raffle) of £1400 which will go towards the bell and tower appeal. The ringers are extremely grateful for this very generous support of our project.

The Final Quarter Peal: In memoriam

In anticipation of the refurbishment and augmentation of the bells the ringers were delighted to ring what should be the last quarter peal on the 'old eight' in memory of Doris Mitton (see below). Her family were able to come and enjoy the ringing and also visit the ringing chamber after the quarter of Bob Major was rung successfully in just over three quarters of an hour. You can find the certificate for the quarter peal here. To listen to a short excerpt from the ringing go to this link to youtube (You may need to open in a new window)

A special farewell

The ringers were pleased and honoured to be asked to ring for the funeral of Doris Mitton. Doris helped many people in Ledbury throughout her long life and her family have sponsored the refurbishment of the Tenor bell (the heaviest in the tower) in her memory. The ringers are hugely grateful for this generosity, which is a fitting tribute to a lady who in her time did much to keep the bells ringing during previous campaigns.

Bell Appeal News

We are grateful for the interest and support of local businesses. To date ten local businesses have given help with our fundraising efforts. We offer particular thanks to the Prince of Wales, who ran a 'treasure hunt' competition: the generosity of the customers was met by that of the Landlord who made up the takings to £500. Tim Keyes is seen here receiving the donation from barman Rich, who regularly serves the ringers after the Tuesday practice!

Sponsorship success

You may have seen the posters around town and the newspaper publicity showing opportunities for sponsoring various elements of the bell project. We are delighted and grateful to report that we have now received generous sponsorship for many of the items previously offered. The new bells, the clockhammers and all the new ropes are now covered by sponsorship and the donors will have their names recorded permanently in a variety of ways.
There ARE, however, still opportunities to sponsor several aspects of the bell refurbishment project. Please click here to find out more.

Christmas 2019

The bells rang out with seasonal cheer for the Town Carol Service on Sunday 15th December and on Christmas Eve for the Christingle service, to which the church welcomed over 500 people.

Ringing the Changes - Again

On October 23rd, thanks to the generosity of Ledbury Market Theatre and LADS we were able to offer another opportunity to experience the thrills and spills of 800 years of history with the Ledbury Bells. We were very pleased to welcome several of our very generous donors to the Ledbury Bells Appeal, and to have the support of Mr Nat Hone, Deputy Lieutenant of Herefordshire and Councillor Phillip Howells, Mayor of Ledbury. This show was somewhat different from the event we put on in the church in March, so if you came to both, we hope you weren't disappointed. Watch an extract (opens youtube in new tab)

Commemorative Peal Attempt

Friday 28th June this year marked the 100th anniversary of the official end of the First World War. To mark this centenary the ringers attempted a full peal of Stedman Triples on the bells of St Michael and all Angels. A full peal is a feat of concentration as well as of physical endurance: it requires 5040 changes to be rung in the correct sequence and without a break, and takes over three hours. It seemed particularly appropriate to mark this anniversary in the light of the splendid response from local people to 'A Bell to Remember', our campaign for a new bell in the church which will be dedicated to the memory of those who died in that conflict and to our own pursuit of peace in the future. We were delighted with the positive comments on the local 'Voice of Ledbury' facebook page to news of the peal attempt.
Sadly, although the bells rang out for about an hour and a half and we hope that many people enjoyed hearing them, the full peal was not achieved on this occasion.

Community Day 2019

We welcomed lots of visitors to our stall in the Burgage Hall on Community Day on Saturday June 8th. A number of people expressed an interest in learning to ring and others were keen to have a visit to see the bells in action, or to hear more about the heritage and history of 'The Exercise'.
The portable Dumbell was on show under the Market House and amongst many others the Rector and the Mayor (as well as some rather smaller people) had a go on this safe-to-use replica of a tower bell. A picture is featured in the Community Day website photo gallery here

Schools Visits 2019

Monday 24th January 2019 – A visit to John Masefield High School. A team of six ringers taught 150 pupils in Years 7 and 8 about the history, theory and practice of ringing through a series of interactive sessions and including the use of our portable training bell (as seen in the photograph).

Tuesday 12th February – A visit to Ledbury Primary School. A team of six ringers led an assembly for the whole school about the place of bellringing in our country’s history, and then worked with groups of Year 5 pupils in a series of interactive sessions.

2019 Talks and presentations

Friday 18th January – Tim and Mary Anne Keyes gave a talk as part of the Evesham Festival of Words about the bellringing in our history and literature.
Friday 15th February – Tim and Mary Anne gave a talk on bells in our history and culture to the U3A History Group at the Baptist Church in Ledbury.

Visits to the Tower 2019

We frequently welcome visitors to the Tower, particularly on Tuesday evenings during regular practice nights when local people wish to find out what goes on or when Bellringers from other towers come to join us. It is a privilege occasionally to be able to show visitors not only the ringers at work but also the bells themselves and we are pleased to arrange this for groups with a particular interest. To arrange, visit our contacts page

Tuesday 19th February – Through contact with the local Joined Up Heritage project, we invited a group of teenagers from the Youth Drop-In Centre (which meets twice each week in the Barrett Browning Building) to come and learn about bellringing and record our evening together as part of a film project that they are working on.

Tuesday 9th March – In advance of ringing for the special St George's Day parade service this year we invited members of the local Scouts and their leaders to join us to see the bells and learn about what we do in the tower.

15 members of Ledbury WI came to visit the tower on 8th May. They were given an introduction to the history of bellringing and shown what goes on in the tower today. They all visited not only the ringing room but also the clock room and the third floor belfry.

On Tuesday 16th July we welcomed some more folk interested in discovering what goes on 'up in the tower' and gave them the opportunity to see the bells as well as watch the ringers in action.

Fund Raising

We were delighted to welcome gardeners and other supporters of the Bell to Remember project to a 'Seed Swap' Soup lunch in St Michael and All Angels on Saturday 16th February. Thanks to all who contributed, especially to Jane Mason for her generous donation of rare Galanthus (Snow Drop) varieties. A total of £250 was raised. We hope to repeat this idea with another seed swap in the Autumn. Watch out for details!

Ringing the Changes

A very interesting and entertaining evening of music, prose and poetry interspersed with drama was enjoyed by over 250 people on 8th March 2019. Very generous donations amounted to over £2,500 and many learned a great deal about the history of bellringing and the bells of Ledbury in particular. It is hoped that a revised version of this event can be presented on a future occasion.

Launch Event - Tuesday 13th November, 2018 - 6.00pm

The launch event for "A Bell to Remember" was held in St Michael & All Angels Church. We were delighted to welcome a cross-section of folk from Ledbury and further afield, all interested in supporting this project

Please contact Tim Keyes (Tower Captain) if you would like more information about the project.

Tel : 01531 579021 or email : [email protected]

Commemorative Ringing

On Sunday 11th November 2018 the ringers at Ledbury rang a half-muffled Quarter Peal of Grandsire Triples to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1254458