Bells ring out for 125th anniversary

This year heralds the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers. Most of the Diocesan Associations and Guilds will be celebrating over the next few years as they were born directly from the Oxford Movement.

Bobbie May, PR officer for the Guild, says:

‘The fervour of the Movement brought about the demise of the church orchestras and barrel organs of Thomas Hardy’s times, along with the ‘Quires’. Old bands of singers were replaced with robed choirs and new organs led the singing.

‘They then turned to the ringing chamber. Ringing had become secularized and ringers were hostile to change. They continued to set themselves apart, brewing-up in the belfry and locking themselves in, ringing at any time of day or night. In one case they tied up the bells and locked the vicar out of his own tower’

Through the endeavours of people such as the Revd F E Robinson of Drayton, the first Master of the Oxford Guild, the ringers were slowly won over. This anniversary year will see celebratory ringing throughout the diocese, with a festival service in July at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.