Subject to scheduling, Saturday (5th Feb) morning’s Today programme on BBC Radio 4 between 07:00 – 09:00 will feature an interview with John Girt of Ipswich about ringing for Accession Day. John recalls “I was removed from my lesson in the grammar school at Eye to ring the tenor bell when King George VI died. The school [not now a grammar school] stood next door to the church with the headmaster’s house and office in the half timbered medieval Guild Hall which stood between the church and the school. I was somewhat worried when the headmaster extracted me and sent me up the church tower. There the local police superintendent [who was also a member of the band of ringers] awaited me. I was instructed to ring “whole pull and stand” once every minute! I think it was a total of 73 times – 57 for his age and 16 for the years of his reign – with the superintendent sitting beside me and keeping count.”
My thanks to John for his story and agreeing to be interviewed.
Vicki Chapman
Central Council of Church Bell Ringers Public Relations Officer