Charlie in Year 8 is a Campanologist, and he regularly updates music teacher Ms Hammond on his hobby. This weekend Charlie is ringing the Quarter Peal for Remembrance Sunday for the first time.
Here's Charlie to tell us more about the art and history of bell-ringing:
I’ve been learning to ring the church bells in North Moreton for just over a year in a ring of 6 bells ranging from 200 to 660kg. Although the bells normally hang downwards, they are rung in an upright position and pulling the rope allows the bell to swing round 360 degrees with the clapper hitting the bell at both extremes of the circle. While we start ringing in rounds, with the bells being rung in order of musical note, we also swap places with other bells in a process known as call changes. It takes physical strength, concentration and lots of co-ordination with the other ringers to ensure that the bells sound their best.
The oldest bell in North Moreton tower is the 5th (the second heaviest one) which dates from 1350. It’s incredible and quite humbling to think that a bell will have been rung to mark so many church services, special occasions, births, deaths and marriages over the intervening 670 years.
At the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II, I helped fit muffles (leather pads attached to the clapper of the bell which dull the ringing sound, and used as a mark of respect) and rang the bells fully muffled as part of Operation London Bridge: a nationwide response to Queen Elizabeth’s death.
More usually, if wanting to pay respects while ringing, the bells are rung half-muffled, when only one side of the clapper is covered. This provides alternating quieter and lounder sounds when the bell is struck by the clapper. This coming weekend, our tower, and other towers in the area, will ring half muffled as part of Remembrance Sunday events. I’m also going to be attempting to ring my first quarter peal, which is a series of 1,260 changes with no mistakes allowed!
If you are interested in learning (bell ringing can also count for the skills section of your Duke of Edinburgh’s Award) do contact your local tower - contact details below. It is good fun and you will be made most welcome.
Goring and Streatley - Josie Irving josieirving@hotmail.co.uk
Benson - John Tchighanov john.tchighi@tiscali.co.uk
Wallingford - Christopher Tuckett christophertuckett@gmail.com
Long Wittenham - Chris Brown wittenhambells@gmail.com
Aston Tirrold - Rachel Marffy (Aston) rachel.marffy@gmail.com
Cholsey - Jenny Jeskins jennyjeskins@btinternet.com;
Brightwell - John Dowling johnedowling@hotmail.com
North Moreton - Rob Nickless rob.nickless@outlook.com
Click the image below to see a short clip of Charlie with fellow bell-ringers!