Coleshill bells rang in solidarity with Notre Dame
Coleshill church bellringers broke their usual Holy Week silence to join thousands of ringers around the country who rang for seven minutes last year.
They responded to a call from Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the then Prime Minister Theresa May for churches and cathedrals to ring out in solidarity with Notre Dame cathedral. All ten Coleshill bells were rung in rounds*.
Traditionally, the ringers do not ring in Holy Week, but use the Tuesday practice night to clean, recognising the sombreness of the period.
The tower has an affinity with Notre Dame. The heaviest bell in Its south tower, Grand Emmanuel, weighs in at 13 tonnes and is tuned to Fsharp.
The tiny by comparison tenor bell at Coleshill weighs in at 711 kilogrammes and is also tuned to Fsharp.
Like the Notre Dame bells, Coleshill bells have changed and been added to over the years. Both have had bells to call the faithful to prayer, or to warn the population, for about 600 years.
* Rounds are rung in descending order. It’s the sound you hear when bells start ringing before changes or methods are rung.
Who we are
We are proud of our ten bells (tenor 14 cwt, Fsharp) and have them serviced every year by Taylor's, the Loughborough bell foundry. It's a worthwhile investment to keep what is actually a £100,000 musical instrument in good condition.
We practice Tuesday nights (7.30-9pm) and ring for Sunday mornings and for other services.
We are a friendly team who welcome visiting ringers and novices alike. We'd be happy to teach you basic bell handling skills.
Is it hard? Only the climb up 46 steps to the ringing chamber.
No need to call - we'll see you on the video camera when you come through the west door.
Can't come shopping, love - I'm tied up this afternoon
Refitting a bell rope doesn't happen often. Two of the ropes (on the tenor and the eight) were badly worn and needed attention: the ninth was also showing signs of wear, so ringers decided to get new tails for the three.
They were spliced mechanically off-site then re-installed on their wheels. It doesn't take long, but needs care to ensure that the sally is at the right height (bottom left), that the rope gets tied correctly (bottom middle) and then that part of the rope the ringer holds is at the right length for safe handling (bottom right).
It's not the job you want to do on a windy and bitterly cold winter Saturday afternoon high above town - but someone has to do it...
...and the ropes behaved impeccably ringing for service the next day.
They were spliced mechanically off-site then re-installed on their wheels. It doesn't take long, but needs care to ensure that the sally is at the right height (bottom left), that the rope gets tied correctly (bottom middle) and then that part of the rope the ringer holds is at the right length for safe handling (bottom right).
It's not the job you want to do on a windy and bitterly cold winter Saturday afternoon high above town - but someone has to do it...
...and the ropes behaved impeccably ringing for service the next day.
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Look to - there's two missing
This kneeler was correct when it was stitched: those who have seen the bells in the tower should be able to date it.
The clue is in the number of ropes. There's eight of them, the number of bells in the church until some were recast, another added, and the set increased to 10 in a new frame in 1978 (the date cast in the bells). Ringers paid the bill by collecting thousands of pounds worth of waste paper and cardboard.
On the back of the kneeler are initials of its maker and the date - 1974. The ropes now have a claret sally, not blue.
The clue is in the number of ropes. There's eight of them, the number of bells in the church until some were recast, another added, and the set increased to 10 in a new frame in 1978 (the date cast in the bells). Ringers paid the bill by collecting thousands of pounds worth of waste paper and cardboard.
On the back of the kneeler are initials of its maker and the date - 1974. The ropes now have a claret sally, not blue.
