Residents close to St. Mary’s Church, and sharp-eared visitors, may have noticed that the tenor bell (the heaviest) has failed to strike for the last few weeks.
During a practice night early in November, the tenor clapper snapped and landed on the floor of the bell chamber (which is also the ceiling of the ringing room) with a loud crack.
This was thought at first to be a firework by Simon, the unlucky ringer who was ringing the bell at the time.
And this extraordinarily heavy piece of iron has had to be replaced by John Gurney, St Mary’s Tower Keeper
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Gaye is Secretary of St Mary’s bellringers. Photo: Kenneth Bird