The restoration of the bells at Eastnor was completed by Whites of Appleton at the end of March 2022 in time for Easter. The bells have been retuned and rehung with new fittings in the existing repainted frame. The tenor has been retired and now strikes the hours on the clock.
A replacement tenor was cast by Taylors at Loughborough.
Click below to listen to a part of Wells Surprise Minor
Tower Captain Ginette Pardoe has written an article called “The past and future of ringing at Broseley” which was publisted in The Ringing World in September 2022.
You can download a copy of the article here: Broseley Ringing World article Sept 2022
Pictured above are:
Front row: Ginette Pardoe, Jan Baldwin, Gaynor Evans, Pam Sheldon, Mel Price (aka Ding, hiding) and Suzy Roberts (aka Dong).
Behind: John Maclean, Bruce Watson and Darren Swancroft.
(Photo Patricia Marinic)
The ringers at Much Wenlock are very sad to announce the death of David Lees.
David learnt to ring at Kingswinford when nine years old and had many stories of how he cycled to other towers. He rang a total of 28 peals, 25 of them between 1952 and 1956. His work took him to other parts of the country and abroad so peal ringing took a back seat but he always tried to maintain his service to the church through Sunday ringing. In the early years he had the company of his brothers Roderick and Christopher both prolific peal ringers. He joined the band at Much Wenlock in 1980 and has been a truly faithful ringer since, always trying to arrange any commitments on a Sunday around service ringing.
We will miss his jokes which never failed to make us smile however corny. RIP David and thank you.
Broseley has an enthusiastic team of 15 ringers, 5 of whom started to learn since the Covid lockdowns.
However, we have some issues with our bells. The ropes are pulled at strange angles from the bells to the ringers, the pulleys are worn, the sliders have been repaired with metal patches and bells 3 to 8 have the remnants of the original crown staples which could cause the bells to crack in the future. The bells were originally a peal of 6 hung in a wooden frame, but 2 extra bells were added at a later date in a metal frame. The flexing of the bell frame causes issues with pinching of the bell fittings.These problems combine to make the bells quite difficult to ring.
We’re therefore raising money to send the bells away for preventative maintenance and retuning, and to have them reinstalled in a new 10 bell frame. If we can raise enough money we’ll be able to install an additional 2 bells.
We’ve currently raised £17,000 and are busy fundraising to obtain the rest of the money needed to start the project.
For more information, please download our PDF Broseley Bells Project Leaflet.
If anyone would like to donate, we have a JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/broseley-bells
Thank You!
It is with sadness that we announce that Alec Osbaldiston has passed away.
Alec rang at Cleobury Mortimer and Kinlet towers and was the on Thomas Cooper organising committee for a very long time and became a Freeman of the Guild in 2006.
Alec’s funeral will be at St Mary’s Cleobury Mortimer at 1100 on Friday 12 November. There will be ringing before and afterwards. Alec asked that handbells be rung at the graveside and this is being to arranged. The committal will be at Cleobury Mortimer Cemetery, Ludlow Road, on the western outskirts of the town.
Three Guild members from Bosbury, Holmer and Kentchurch have recently received the award of The Order of St Ethelbert 2021. The Order was founded in 2015 as a means of recognising and honouring women and men from the parishes of the Hereford diocese and beyond who have supported and nurtured the Christian ministry of the diocese in many and devoted ways.
The recipients are:
Mrs Liz Clutterbuck, Bosbury. For dedicated service to the church for over forty years, including Sunday school, bellringing, church choir, youth work, magazine printing and distribution, parish hall management and much else.
Mr Mike Jefferis, Holmer. For many years of service as bellringer, maintaining church and grounds, deputy warden and general factotum.
Mr Roland Watkins, Kentchurch. For sixty years’ service as a PCC member at St Mary’s Kentchurch and nearly fifty as churchwarden (as was his father before him); churchyard maintenance; long commitment to ringing the bells and fundraising for their refurbishment.
Roland is pictured above with Bishop Richard receiving his award on 10th October.
We are sorry to report the recent death of Gerald Mason who was a long time ringer at both Madley and Eaton Bishop towers. Our condolences to his family and friends.
The funeral will be held at Eaton Bishop on Monday 25th October at 2pm.
The project to carry out repairs to the tower at Eastnor and rehang the 6 bells is underway. The bells have now been uninstalled and despatched to Whites of Appleton for restoration and are expected back in the summer.
This project is supported by the HDGB Bell Restoration Fund.
During a routine tower inspection by Mark Pugh (belfriesofficer@maroon-salmon-416575.hostingersite.com), it was discovered that the clapper bushes needed replacing. Work is booked in at Taylors for 17th May.
We hope to resume our full ringing at Allensmore – with refurbished clappers – after the eagerly anticipated lifting of restrictions on 21st June.
Progress:
28th April – clappers removed ready for transporting
