Pull The Other One

About 18 months ago on a Saturday the door bell went and there is the imposing figure of the Countryman blocking out the daylight. Sprawled out on my sofa, he said, "You know things that started in 1537 you really have to keep going."

"Interesting", I thought, "what the hell is he on about"

" I'm sure " he said, " as a little Englander you would want to keep a tradition going…"
Sometimes I choose to be Welsh and this was one of them.

"Peter", I said, " What are you on about ?"

"Bell ringing " says our sturdy figure, and with that I and several others had been conned into learning how to ring the Bells of Aston Abbotts.

Peter Knight, our Tower Captain, has been a patient and persistent teacher. From the first, where we wrecked the stays to now where we have made sufficient improvement to go gigging to other bell towers, he has quietly helped us all to a reasonable level.

We have rung for weddings and we rang for the VE day celebrations.

On July 10th all the bells in England were rung at 5 pm. We took part in this and had to execute what is called a Firing.

Normally the 6 bells are rung in a variety of sequences 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ( Rounds) or 1, 3, 5, 2, 4, 6 (Queens) etc, but for Firing we had to ring all 6 bells at the same time 10 times.

The tower seemed to be packed with people because it was a very special occasion more so because Reg Darvill was there. Reg, aged 90, had rung the bells for the end of the war in 1945 on VE day and he rang treble for us 60 years on for the VE60 .

It was Reg, who on moving to Wingrave in the 60's, found that the Bells of Aston Abbotts were not being rung so got a band of people together and taught them how to ring.

Present on the VE60 ringing were Peter Knight, Reg Darvill, Alex Knight, Sally Dean, Hallesie Drysdale, Anita Parker, John Dixon, Kevin Fletcher and myself, as well as some Wingrave hangers-on.

Sally and Hallesie are very much the younger generation and are both skilled and enthusiastic about bell ringing.

Peter is still looking for volunteers, so no matter how you or old you are give Peter a ring and he will be happy to teach you how to ring the Bells of Aston Abbotts
I have been amazed how much fun it has been, thanks Peter.

~ Neil Chesher