New recruits, new tops and open tower day at Tring

Tring Tower has been unusually creative this month.

We have been using modern technology to design a distinctive T-shirt logo, perhaps an anachronism in such ancient surroundings. It is now time to order our T-shirts and sweatshirts from our helpful local supplier. The logo features a golden bell with the zebra head, a bell rope including the sally (the coloured fluffy part of the rope) and the words: Tring Ringers, Sts Peter and Paul.

In April, we were very pleased to welcome our most recent recruits, Kate and Jane, to Sunday ringing before the morning service. Easter Sunday 2026 will have been a memorable day for them, and for the rest of the band, as we continue to grow in numbers.

It has been said that, for a band to cover illness, holidays and other absences, and still be able to ring all available bells each Sunday, there needs to be around 150% more ringers than there are bells. We still need a few more ringers to reach that goal.

This time of year is considered by many to be the time for spring cleaning. We follow that tradition with an evening of dusting, vacuuming and polishing everything in sight instead of our usual ringing practice in Holy Week. The resulting thirst is slaked in “The Office”, where ringing progress and plans are aired to the point of consensus.

Look out for us at Tring Family Fun Day on 9 May. The bell tower will be open from 1.00pm to 3.00pm for anyone who would like to see how we ring, or even have a go at ringing a bell. Why not climb the thirty-nine steps and see the ringing room and what happens every Sunday morning?

We will also have ringers wandering through the crowds to answer questions. Look out for our new Tring Zebra tops.

Church bells have been rung in England since as early as the 7th century, although the oldest surviving bells were cast in the 1400s. It is a tradition we are proud to keep going, and new ringers are always welcome.

Johanna Morgan
Tring Bell Tower