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| The restoration fund to restore Steeple Aston Bells was launched on 1st May
1984. One fund raising event was planed every month. These ranged from dances,
sales, concerts, talks and open gardens. It was hoped to raise the money in
three years, and this was achieved thanks to the generosity of the Steeple Aston
and Middle Aston villagers plus many trust funds. The order to rehang the bells was given to White's of Appleton. In order to help save money the ringers would do as much work as possible. The bells were removed during February 1986 during one of the coldest winters for a number of years; temperatures were down to minus 15 Celsius with a strong east wind. After the bells had been lowered and transported to Appleton we then removed the old wooden frame. Most of this was sold and raised over £500.
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Ron Gardner, Graham Clifton and John Ray taking the bells out of the old bell frame, February 1986 |
| During the spring and summer we still met every Tuesday practice night to
carry out work in the tower to be ready for the bells return. The hardest job
proved to be cutting new holes in the wall for the new frame. It had been
decided to retune and rehang the 6 bells in an eight-bell frame so that a future
generation could add two more bells. We also kept our hand in ringing-wise by visiting a local tower most weeks; this was often followed by a meal in the pub.
|
The bells returning to the village
|
| On Saturday 11th September Graham Clifton borrowed an
articulated lorry from P A Turney Ltd. and with Ron Gardner and Dorothy Clifton set of to Appleton to
collect everything. This was a lovely sunny day and when we
returned to the
village many villagers were waiting with the other ringers to greet us and help
unload. Local farmer Tim Taylor loaned us his fork truck to lift the bells into
the church. The new frame and bells were pulled up in the tower over the
next
two weeks. A new floor was fitted under the bells and the ringing chamber re-wired and decorated. The bells were tried out on Wednesday 22nd October and re-
dedicated on Sunday 23rd November by the Rural Dean.
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The bells being lifted into the churchyard
The bells safely in the churchyard
|
| Then came the good news that we did not have to pay VAT on the job. This left
us with £3,500 to spare so the order for two extra bells was placed.
The
casting of these took place at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry on December 22nd
1986 witnessed by Diana Gardner, Charles Lee and Graham and Dorothy Clifton. The
bells and fittings were collected on May 9th 1987 and placed in the church, as
we did not have all the money required to hang them in the tower. After about
two weeks we were offered the required amount to finish the job.
The 8 bells
were rung for the first time on Sunday 28th June for the Patronal Festival. The
project had taken 3 ½ years and cost a total of £23,500. The bell ringers will
always be grateful to the parishioners of Steeple Aston and Middle Aston for
their support with the project. Graham Clifton (March 2002)
|
The new bells being cast
The eight bells of Steeple Aston tower |
