The first in what is hoped will be a regular feature that spotlights one tower from those visited in the recent quarter's Saturday night practices, which, in the Newsletter team's opinion, deserves singling out for a special mention. This feature might adorn the front page, or, as this issue where a more-appropriate front-page article is applied, an inside page. The choice this time is:-
Photo: Chris Povey
The 5 bells, tenor 11-3-17 in F# were cast by Taylors of Loughborough in 1870/71, but the 3rd was recast by them in 1905. Taylors rehung them in a new 6-bell cast-iron and steel bellframe in 1971, so the 'real' treble's pit lies there unfilled. Perhaps one day. . . . . . (The belfry is very large: enough room for a 12 on one level!) Lack of a local band and tight PCC finances have led to the bells being overlooked in the past - and by ringers generally, too, it seems (when did the FSG last visit, for instance?) - but the recent work has now made them nicely ringable. Don't expect to push them along, though, as they seem happier ringing fairly slowly. (Now if they were a 6. . . !)