Rememberance Sunday Bells

Tue 14 Nov 2017, 17:27

Rhona - clearly the refined atmosphere around Hixet Wood played havoc with the acoustics! As for the full muffle, Wikipedia says: "Bells are only rung fully-muffled (with the backstroke of the tenor left open) for the death of the Sovereign, the incumbent Vicar (Parish Priest), or the Bishop of the dioceses", - though it would help to hide my mistakes!

Tue 14 Nov 2017, 09:05

I agree. I knew the bells were going to be muffled but they sounded same as usual in Hixet Wood. Can we have a full muffle next time?

Mon 13 Nov 2017, 15:01 (last edited on Mon 13 Nov 2017, 21:59)

Next year will be an special occasion .All working bells in churches and cathedrals will ring out across the country on 11 November 2018 and Big Ben will also strike to mark the centenary of Armistice Day. Church bells were rung in celebration when armistice was declared in 1918, after having been restricted during the four-year war. However there was another problem - as many as 1,400 bell ringers were killed in the war so many more ringers were taught to take over. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley has now announced some 1,400 bell ringers are to be recruited in 2018 to mark 100 years since World War One.
If you want to be one of these then just come along any Wednesday evening at 7.30 and you can have a chance to try. We are a very friendly Tower and Mike Summers will show you how to ring and perhaps you will want to come back

Sun 12 Nov 2017, 20:06

We heard the bells and noticed the muffling walking down Crawborough. The wind was quite strong from the correct direction so we were able to hear them very clearly. They sounded very good.

Sun 12 Nov 2017, 16:41

St Mary's bells were rung today (Sunday 12 Nov) but as is both respectful and, indeed, traditional on these serious occasions each bell had been "Half - Muffled"ie: a leather pad had been fitted to one side of the bell's clapper. This meant that for each bell one chime would be at the "normal" intensity whereas its next chime would be "muffled". In the belfry and around the church the effect was incredibly noticeable and surprisingly moving - a vibrant sequence followed by a softer, rolling sonorous echo. Curiously, the effect didn't seem to travel as my tune - adept lady in Hixet Wood couldn't tell the difference. So purely for interest purposes did anybody else out there notice?