Bellringing

Christmas Eve at the Front

An interesting letter has just been received by Mrs Packer, of Broadclyst, from her husband, Corpl Packer of A Company, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, who is serving with the Expeditionary Force in Northern France. In the course of a letter he describes a remarkable incident which occurred on Christmas Eve between the British and German trenches.

The eight bells of the church on the island of Lundy

have been silent for a number of years, having become unsafe through the deterioration of fittings and the tower.

On the arrival of a bell-hanger to rehang the re-cast bells of Appledore Parish Church, the opportunity was taken to let him inspect and report on the island’s church tower and bells. The tenor bell on Lundy weighs 15½cwt compared with the 10¼cwt of the tenor bell at Appledore.

The bell-hanger, Mr J Walker, visited the island on Saturday in the Lundy Gannet whose passengers also included the co-owner of Lundy, Mr Albion Harman.

A report will in due course be received at Appledore from the bell-founders.

Gazette article dated 26 October 1962

Bells Ring Out Again At Welcombe

St Nectan's Parish Church, Welcombe, now has a team of bell-ringers for the first time for a number of years

The Vicar, Rev Andrew T H Jones, explained that a suggestion had been put forward at the annual parish meeting that a team should be revived and they had been fortunate in getting five or six youngsters to come forward to train under the captaincy of Mr Jack Saunders, of Lynton Farm, Welcombe, who is an experienced ringer.

Appropriately, the first peal by the new team was rung at the church's Patronal Festival on June 18th and they have rung on successive Sundays.

'We are very thrilled with it' commented the Vicar.

Gazette article dated 14 July 1961

Weare Giffard Bells To Be Heard In Vancouver

Already heard in London

The sound of the bells of Weare Giffard Parish Church, recently rung for the first time after being re-hung, will be heard in Vancouver.

The Rector, Rev J M Lucas, explains in the current issue of the Hartland Deanery Magazine that a visitor from Vancouver, staying at Landcross, came to Weare Giffard one evening and tape-recorded the bells.

‘Our ringers gave a good account of themselves and I understand that the bells of Weare Giffard will sound forth on the local radio in Vancouver and will also be amplified from the church tower of the church in which our visitor worships’ writes Mr Lucas.

Incidentally the bells have already been heard in London – by someone who telephoned Mr Lucas on the first occasion the bells were rung since the re-hanging.

Gazette article dated 11 August 1961