Campaign to get church bells ringing again

Ruskington's parish church will be holding its annual St Nicholas Fair on December 3 when proceeds will be going towards the restoration campaign for the church bells.The urgent work is estimated to cost around Â£43,000 for the six bells which range in age from 1593 to 1911.There will be a wide variety of stalls at the fair which runs from 10am to 1.30pm, with music and festive refreshments. Diana Cross is chairman of the bells restoration committee at All Saints' Church and explained the problems came to light earlier this year when the tenor bell got stuck and an expert went up the tower to re-hang it at a cost of Â£5,000. However a lot more work was seen to need doing urgently.Mrs Cross said: 'No maintenance work has been done for 100 years since 1911 when the last two bells were hung and they need it. The oldest two were cast in 1593 and two more were added in 1882.'The bells are a community asset and part of our heritage. They have huge historic significance with two dating back to Elizabeth I.'She explained: 'As they are constantly struck they get out of shape and once the wooden hangings (which are suspect) go, the church will not be able to afford to put them right, so we have set up a small committee to have all the bells re-hung at once.'Mrs Cross said all the wooden framework will need to be replaced and felt it would be disastrous if the bells fell silent for good.So far they have been selling T-shirts with the slogan: 'I love Ruskington with bells on', the schools have been writing stories about the bells for a book to sell with their own illustrations.A gift day raised Â£2,000 at harvest festival time and a sponsored bike ride and afternoon tea has helped reach a total of over Â£6,000. A further Â£1,000 has just been donated by DC Baxters' garage and Spar shop, which Mrs Cross said was fantastic.The aim is to have the bells ready to ring to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War in 2018.

The bells at Ruskington's All Saints' Church. EMN-161115-134217001

The urgent work is estimated to cost around £43,000 for the six bells which range in age from 1593 to 1911.

There will be a wide variety of stalls at the fair which runs from 10am to 1.30pm, with music and festive refreshments.

Diana Cross is chairman of the bells restoration committee at All Saints’ Church and explained the problems came to light earlier this year when the tenor bell got stuck and an expert went up the tower to re-hang it at a cost of £5,000.

However a lot more work was seen to need doing urgently.

Mrs Cross said: “No maintenance work has been done for 100 years since 1911 when the last two bells were hung and they need it. The oldest two were cast in 1593 and two more were added in 1882.

“The bells are a community asset and part of our heritage. They have huge historic significance with two dating back to Elizabeth I.”

She explained: “As they are constantly struck they get out of shape and once the wooden hangings (which are suspect) go, the church will not be able to afford to put them right, so we have set up a small committee to have all the bells re-hung at once.”

Mrs Cross said all the wooden framework will need to be replaced and felt it would be disastrous if the bells fell silent for good.

So far they have been selling T-shirts with the slogan: “I love Ruskington with bells on”, the schools have been writing stories about the bells for a book to sell with their own illustrations.

A gift day raised £2,000 at harvest festival time and a sponsored bike ride and afternoon tea has helped reach a total of over £6,000. A further £1,000 has just been donated by DC Baxters’ garage and Spar shop, which Mrs Cross said was fantastic.

The aim is to have the bells ready to ring to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War in 2018.