Bellringers

St Chad's Church			St Chad's Church
St Chad's Church		Music at St. Chad's Choir......... Bellringing ......Friends of the Music

Bell Ringing at St. Chad's

Ringing Times

Sunday Services	Morning Evening	8.45 - 9.30 5.45 - 6.30
Thursday	Beginners Main Practice	7.00 - 7.45 7.45 - 9.30

For more information contact Simon Futers email T.S.FUTERS@LEEDS.AC.UK
or telephone the Parish Office 0113 2744322

Useful Link : Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers

News from the Bell Tower

On Thursday 5 February the ringers of St Chad’s with a couple of reinforcements
met and rang a Quarter Peal on the bells, to which the details are as follows:
Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers, St Chad’s, Far Headingley, Leeds,
1344 Changes of Plain Bob Major in 49 minutes (18-2-13, Eb)

1. Elizabeth A Johnson 5. Christopher Baird
2. E. Anne Futers 6. Alan G Futers
3. Donald Hood 7. Maurice Calvert
4. James W. Holdsworth 8. T. Simon Futers (Conductor)

This Quarter Peal marks a number of ‘first’s. Firstly, it was the first Quarter Peal of Plain Bob Major for the 8th ringer as Conductor. Secondly, it was the first Quarter Peal using our new ‘Far Headingley’ tailends on the front 6 bells, given in memory of Frances Johnson, mother of the Elizabeth, the ropes of which should last for many years to come. Finally, it was the first Quarter Peal on the bells since the clappers are refurbished and the tenor gudgeon pins where replaced by John Taylors & Co of Loughborough in November 2013.

For the Quarter, we were augmented by two ringers as we welcomed Maurice Calvert, former tower captain, asked back for the occasion and James Holdsworth, a Peal conductor and ringer from Halifax, recruited late Tuesday evening after a late withdrawal, both of whom the local band’s thanks goes to for helping to ring, as without them, the quarter would not have happened.

It was great to hear all 8 bells ringing together, and was hopefully enjoyed by all within earshot of the tower. The ringing of all 8 has become increasing rare at St’ Chad’s within ringing on fewer numbers of bells such as only 3 or 4 bells increasing in frequency, due to a shortage of ringers. We are therefore, looking to recruit new members (no experience necessary) to come along and have a go to keep the historic tradition of bellringing healthy locally. Practises at St. Chad’s happen on Thursday evenings from 7:30pm. So please come along, and see the bells, and find out what bellringing is all about. For further details, contact our Tower Captain Simon Futers (whose number is at the front of magazine).
Alan Futers

The Bells of St. Chad's

Originally the church had only three bells, which were cast in 1867. A further four were added in 1872 and a treble in 1876. All were cast by John William Taylor senior and recast in 1933 by his son, Edmund Denison Taylor, at his own expense. The weight of the tenor was originally 20 cwt., but after recasting is now 18 cwt. 2qr. 18 lb. in E.

An interesting record in the tower is that of the first peal on the augmented eight. On December 22, 1877 a peal of Kent Treble Bob Major was conducted by Jasper W. Snowdon, who was the first president of the Yorkshire Association.

A former vicar of the church was Canon C.C.Marshall, who, as well as being president of the Yorkshire Association for over 35 years, was a very active ringer for more than 40 Years at St. Chad’s. He was followed as president of the association by Canon C.O.Ellison, a former curate at the church.