Some of the towers have already organised their bands and their times. Here are a few who will be ringing out on April 23rd. There is England’s oldest recorded town of Colchester with St Peter and its 8 bells, All Saints of Shrub End with 6 bells ringing at 10am, Hythe’s St. Leonard again 6 bells at 11am, St Mary’s 8 bells at Great Bentley at 2.30, St. Osyth with 6 bells at 4 pm and last but not least ST. GEORGE Great Bromley at the end of a long and successful day will be ringing out at 7pm.

In the small town of Burton Hastings there lies St. Botolph church with its five bells three of which date from 1657. It is from these bells that the Mayor of Rugby will ring out a quarter peal to celebrate St. George on England’s Day – April 23rd.

St. Nicholas, England’s most northerly cathedral will be celebrating St. George’s Day with great gusto. The whole of Tyne and Wear and much of Northumberland will be brought to a standstill at 5.30 on April 23rd as the amazing band will ring out from Newcastle cathedral’s 12 bells leaving the city in no doubt as to what a special day it is.

The Tower stands right in the heart of Oxford and is all that remains of a 12th Century church. It has a ring of 6 bells which will ring out at 6 o’clock for the entire city to hear and bring a skip to their journey home as they bless St. George’s Day.

To the east of the city of Leicester is the area around Syston with its rolling fields leading on to the county of Rutland. Right across these green acres the towers will be ringing out reminding everyone of St, George’s Day.

This year there are several of the nation’s cathedrals who for various reasons will sadly be unable to ring. However, they have all assured the campaign that they will be celebrating St. George’s day. Their flags will be flying, the streets will be filled with parades, and their services will be full to flowing as their congregations gather to salute their Patron Saint.

High on a hill overlooking the Cinque Ports sits St. George’s Church in Brede. The name comes from old English meaning ‘breadth’ which refers to the river which in turn takes its name from the village. The six bells will be ringing out and there will be parades followed by a huge supper all in celebration of England’s Patron Saint.

There is a town in Northern Somerset that was mentioned in the Doomsday Book that takes the name of Eastern in Gordano. It is here, in the church dedicated to St. George, that they intend to ring out their 6 bells for a whole peal to celebrate the day. What an incredible feat and so hats off to their wonderful ringers and we wish them good luck for the day.

This long established College, with its foundation in 1264, has in the past produced many Nobel Prize winners and literary giants. Its excellence continues and so too its Chapel and Choir. The College has 8 bells and they will be ringing out between 13.45 and 14.30 and joining all those other towers across the country to celebrate St. George.

April 23rd is in the middle of vacation for students but these London University ringers will be giving up their time for the honour of ringing out from St. Paul’s to celebrate St. George’s Day. The society was formed in 1945 and usually practices at St. Olav’s near Tower Hill but they will have a very different experience at St. Paul’s. There are four bells in the South West tower where ‘Great Paul’ hangs weighing in at 16 and half tons. However they will instead be ringing out from the North West tower which has 13 magnificent bells. We wish them good luck.

Photographed by Marc Slowey – @Slowey25