Bells
The Minster has 10 bells hung for normal full-circle ringing. They weigh a total of 4.3 tonnes, the tenor (the largest bell) weighing 18.25cwt and having a diameter of 4 feet. They are tuned to the key of E flat. They date from 1830 when three of them were cast by William Dobson, and several bellfounders have cast the rest since then, including John Taylor and Co and John Warner and Sons, the newest bells (the two lightest) being cast in 1962 by Mears and Stainbank. Frank Kennington (born 26 December 1933) was taught to ring at the Minster in 1945 by his father and became Tower Captain in 1955. He gave up the post in 2012 after 57 years because the stairs leading to the ringing room were getting too much for him. The ringers are Matthew Jeffery (new captain), Lorraine Jeffery, Jane Willerton, Vic Pope, Bethany Chapman, Carla Westfield, Jordan Westfield and Fern Robinson.
Read more about this topic: Grimsby Minster
Famous quotes containing the word bells:
“The Church disowned, the tower overthrown, the bells upturned, what have we to do
But stand with empty hands and palms turned upwards
In an age which advances progressively backwards?”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“The bells they sound on Bredon,
And still the steeples hum.
“Come all to church, good people,—”
Oh, noisy bells, be dumb;
I hear you, I will come.”
—A.E. (Alfred Edward)
“I’m getting married in the morning,
Ding! dong! the bells are gonna chime.
Pull out the stopper;
Let’s have a whopper;
But get me to the church on time!”
—Alan Jay Lerner (1918–1986)