If you hear bells ringing this morning (on Friday 6th March), they are coming from St John the Baptist, Great Amwell – and there’s a special reason why!

A talented team of bell ringers will be attempting a peal to celebrate Roy’s 90th birthday. Seventy years ago, Roy rang the very first peal on these bells after they were augmented to six, so this is a particularly meaningful occasion.

The band will be splicing together 15 different methods, with beautiful names such as Cambridge, Primrose, Hull, Ipswich and Norfolk. We don’t often hear a full peal here, making this a rare and special event.

Bell ringing is an ancient and highly skilled art form, practised in around 5,000 towers across England and a further 500 worldwide.

If you’re curious about what a peal involves, you can read more here:
https://cccbr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/what-is-a-peal.pdf

And if you’d like to have a go at bell ringing yourself, new ringers are always welcome! We practise every Thursday from 7:30pm to around 9:00pm at St John the Baptist Church, Great Amwell. Please contact Frances Adams (fmadams750@gmail.com) for more information.