There’s more than bats in the belfry

Early in May Jez Bottley, the Huntingdon Bell Tower Captain and some of his colleagues came into our studio to champion the cause of bell ringing.  This year is the 100^th anniversary of the end of the Great War and there is a national campaign to have the bells ring out in unison from every church and cathedral, in every town and village across the country on Armistice Day 2018. Even the Bells of Big Ben will ring. The campaign to recruit bell ringers, Ringing Remembers, will keep this traditional British art alive in memory of the 1,400 who lost their lives – linking together past, present and future.

“On 11 November 1918 the ringing of church bells erupted spontaneously across the country, as an outpouring of relief that 4 years of war had come to an end. I am pleased that to honour that moment and the 1,400 bell ringers who died in the war, we will be recruiting 1,400 new bell ringers to take part in the commemorations next year.” so said Karen Bradley, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Jez told our listeners that in order for all the bells in just Huntingdon and Godmanchester to ring on that day there was a need for 22 campanologists to be available to ring. However, Jez is pleased with the response to the campaign and is beginning to train new bell ringers.   If you are interested in joining him in his worthwhile hobby contact Jez on jez.bottley@gmail.com