Church bells-a-ringing ding dong merrily as Shrewsbury ringer shares Platinum Jubilee routine

Holy Trinity Church in Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, is among many churches up and down the country with a busy schedule to celebrate the Queen's 70-year reign.

Tower captain Michael Carding said: "Church Bells have been used through the centuries to announce and celebrate national events as well as calling people to worship. At Holy Trinity, Meole Brace, they have rung every Sunday morning since 2014, except when prevented by Covid restrictions, and over the Jubilee weekend they will be marking this unique historic occasion in style."

On Thursday evening six local ringers rang a Jubilee Quarter Peal, which is a sequence of changes lasting about 45 minutes. On Friday, from 10.30am to 11.30am, the Meole bells joined others all over the country and Commonwealth in the run up to the special Jubilee service in Westminster Abbey. The centre piece was a specially composed sequence of 70 changes called Meole Platinum Jubilee, which ringers have been practising in recent weeks.

Michael added: "On Sunday these same sequences together with popular call changes will feature in the ringing between the two morning services at 9am and 11am. Later that evening, to sign off the whole weekend, the Holy Trinity bells will peal from 7.52pm to 8.22pm along with many others around the land. Look carefully and you will see this is for half an hour, not 70 minutes!"

There are about 15 active bell ringers at Meole Brace and most will be involved at sometime in this resounding celebration. Joshua Oakley, 17, has been a faithful member for over four years and he will be ringing in a Quarter Peal for the first time. Michael said he is pleased that most of the ringers have returned to serve the church and the community in this way after the pandemic. He hopes to teach any new recruits in the autumn.