We had a very successful weekend of events to celebrate formally the end of our bell restoration project. The ring of six bells were the gift of Sir John Danvers in 1763 and no major work had been carried out on them for one hundred years.

The Bell Restoration Project was launched in May 2018 with the aim of raising £25,000 towards a total of £40,000. The ringers had already raised £10,000 from wedding fees and weekly subs before fundraising commenced, along with a donation from the PCC. The target was achieved by the end of November 2018 with individual donations, donations from organisations and fundraising events. The bells were taken down from the tower in February 2019 by Whites of Appleton and the re-tuned bells were returned to the tower with new fittings and metal headstocks in mid-June 2019. We have been wanting to thank everyone for their support since then but Covid intervened and now three years on we have finally been able to do so.

Richard Bimson organised a team to ring a peal on Saturday morning. The members of the team were Sally Brown, Richard Bimson, Mike Dew, Nick Churchman, Tony Rowan and Mick Angrave. Starting just after 10am, the peal of Surprise Minor (7m) 720 each of London, Wells, Norwich, Durham, York, Beverley and Cambridge was conducted by Mick Angrave and was successfully completed in 2 hour 50 minutes. Four of the members of the team, Sally, Richard, Tony and Mick, had rung in the previous peal on Saturday 19^th January 2019, before the bells were taken down from the tower.

During an extended open church afternoon, there was a display of photographs of the whole project from the start of the fundraising campaign to the first ring on the newly installed bells. In addition, there was a display of material from the Leicestershire Diocesan Guild of Bell Ringers highlighting bells and bell ringing. As usual, refreshments were served with tea and coffee and many delicious cakes. We would like to thank all those who helped during the afternoon. Ringers were on hand to show anyone interested the ringing room and how the bells are rung.

From 5pm, there was a more formal part of the day when Graham Clifton from Whites of Appleton, Church Bell Hangers, marked the end of the Restoration project by handing a bell rope to Rev Colin Resch. Janet Beeby thanked all those who had helped throughout the project, whether by donations or attending fundraising events. Sally Brown, the Guild President was present and Janet thanked the Guild Bell Restoration Fund for their generous donation towards the project. Janet also thanked Marc Wainwright for his service to the church throughout 50 years of ringing at Swithland. Marc has only recently stopped ringing the 8 o’clock bell when the BCP service was moved to monthly at 9.30am.

After Graham Clifton had handed the rope to Colin and said a few words to symbolise the end of the restoration process, drinks were served and nibbles were enjoyed by all. It was a very convivial evening, enhanced by the presence of some of the Danvers family from America who had thoroughly enjoyed the whole afternoon.

The Annual Bell Ringers service on Sunday was also Trinity Sunday. As well as ringing before the service, the bells were rung for a short time during the service by Margaret Hardwicke, Janet Beeby, Val Capewell, Guy Jibson, Suzanne and Nick Cunningham. Rev Colin Resch gave thanks to all who were a part of the restoration process and linked the idea of Trinity Sunday with the three strands of the bell rope, symbolising the strength of things in threes. Richard Bimson read the lesson and we were pleased to sing the hymn that one of our former bellringers, Jean Curd, who passed away in 2013, had written for bell ringers everywhere.

Altogether it was a wonderful celebration weekend and it is great to know that with the work that has been carried out, the bells will be ringing out for the next 100 years.

Janet Beeby
Tower Captain, St Leonard’s Swithland