British and German governments are issuing a unique joint appeal to communities across the world to ring the 100th hundredth anniversary of the end of the WW1. Between 1914 and 1918 regulations introduced under the Defence of the Realm Act curtailed the amount of bell ringing that could take place. This, together with the departure of so many men to the front, meant that church bells were rarely heard.
On Sunday, November 11th 2018, across the UK, many thousands of bell ringers at more than 3,000 towers are preparing to join the international initiative to celebrate the day the guns fell silent after more than four years of fighting – and the peace and friendship that now exists between former enemies.
Culture secretary Jeremy Wright said: “Bells will ring out across the world to replicate the outpouring of relief that took place in 1918, and to mark the peace and friendship that we now enjoy between nations,” he said. “It will be a fitting culmination to our WW1 commemorations. One hundred years on, we will come together to remember all those who lost their lives – regardless of nationality.”
George Hodgkinson is looking for volunteers to come and ring the St Andrew’s church bells in Eastleach on Sunday 11th November. (As opposed to Bouthrop church, where the bell ropes need to be handled by experienced ringers, the two bell ropes in St Andrew’s are much easier).
Thus, no experience is necessary, no particular gender, nor any particular muscle power is required, but a sense of time keeping or rhythm might help.
Two bell ringers are required at any given time, and no ‘shift’ will be longer than 10 minutes. If we start ringing at 10am, then he is looking for 10 people to come and help.
If you are interested, please email him on ghhodgkinson@gmail.com
