Bells over Bermondsey

To our next door neighbours, The Gregorian, yesterday for the Annual General Meeting of the  St James and St Mary Rotherhithe societies of bellringers at which we elected the Tower Captain and the Steeple Keeper (I love those titles) for both churches, as well as the secretary and treasurer for both bands.

Week by week the bells ring out over Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, and the dedicated service of the band of bellringers is deeply appreciated in the area.

You've only got to spend time with a team of bellringers to realise there is a lot more to bell ringing than meets the eye. It gets quite technical and very skilled. Is bellringing a science or an art, I asked them at last night's meeting? It's an exercise, they replied.

And here, is a bit of Sunday morning bellringing filmed from the vicarage garden during my sabbatical, just to remind you of the great sound they produce.