The Parochial Church Council is planning to improve the bells in All Saints church. We have a very good ring of five bells which we hope parishioners like to hear rung, but they are hard work due to tower movement. This can discourage new and current ringers. The large movement can also strain the tower. We are planning to lower three of the bells into the lower chamber and add an additional 6th bell which was offered to us ten years ago in memory of a child. There will be some sound control for the ringers (as the three bells will be only one floor above the ringing chamber) and for outside when we have very new ringers. We will also use the opportunity to do some maintenance to the frame and fittings. The lowering will considerably reduce the tower movement and make a large difference in the effort to ring the bells.

With these improvements we hope to encourage new recruits, young and old, to learn the ancient art of bell ringing.
Later this year we will have a display at the back of the church giving a brief history of bell ringing in England and a full sized model of a bell as they are in the tower including some redundant fittings from Brooke and a fibre glass bell caste from an actual bell. (Bells are too heavy to move about!)

We plan to have various events including a talk about bell ringing and a concert and we will invite local scouts/guides and Stoke school children to our church to see the bells and learn about ringing.
The improvements will be expensive to implement. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) has committed an important contribution and we will be applying for grants. If you would like to show your support by making a small donation please send a cheque payable to ‘The PCC of Shotesham’ to Bob Harris, treasurer of the PCC at Hill Cottage, Rogers Lane, Shotesham NR15 1YJ or use internet banking payment to the church account

PCC of Shotesham Sort Code 30 96 17 Account no 00398514 Reference: – Bell Project.
If you have any questions about this project please let me know (tel 550672).

Bob Harris