Autumn Bells and Ancient Traditions
An article from Tring Bell Tower by Johanna Morgan reflecting on autumn, welcoming new bellringers and hosting the district ringing meeting.
By the time you read this, summer will have become a distant memory as the earth turns away from the sun and the shadows of autumn lengthen on the sundial.
This month, our continuing efforts to encourage new people into the tower have had results, and we now have two new young ringers learning the ropes with us.
On Saturday, October 10th, we hosted the district bellringers’ meeting in the afternoon. This meeting is held in a different tower every month for bellringers to ring with others from around the district. The benefits are social and technical. Ringers may be limited as to what they can ring in their own towers but are able to stretch themselves amongst friendly experts. Each tower also seems to compete in the quality of sandwiches and cakes they provide. Tring has a reputation to maintain!
Changing the subject, many medieval bells bear the Latin inscription “Vivos voco, Mortuos plango, Fulgura frango”, meaning “I call the living, I mourn the dead, I repel lightning.” Bells have marked the big moments of town life for centuries, and they still do.
Johanna Morgan
Tring Bell Tower.
