Right in the north of the boundary of Greater Manchester, in the West Pennine Moors with the|River Irwell running through the valley stands RAMSBOTTOM. The name is said to originate from ‘Valley of The Ram’   It has several churches but on ST.GEORGE’S DAY this year ST.PAUL’s rang its 8 bells in celebration and here is the happy band sent in by Peter Coulton.

The village of STANTON DREW may be small in size but it has an important link to prehistoric times with its famous stone circles.  Within sight of these ancient remains stands St. Mary’s church that dates back to the 13th C and its 5 bells have been ringing out across this view as they did this year on April 23rd to celebrate England’s Patron Saint – ST.GEORGE.  Here are the happy ringers sent in by Tower Captain Shirley Edwards.

The church of SS Peter & Paul rang out from NEWPORT PAGNELL in the late afternoon of Saturday 23rd April.  Joining them was EMBERTON with its band ringing from the 6 bells in All Saints church all celebrating ST.GEORGE’S DAY.

Here are the bands from MILTON KEYNES who rang in the late afternoon from All Saints and alongside them is SHENLEY with a touch of spring in the picture as they rang from St. Mary’s 6 bells just after 1 o’clock. Well done to all of them.

Here are the ringers of  St. Mary’s in THORNBOROUGH who rang the 5 bells from 9.30 to 10 o’clock and started the whole event.  Much later in the day, at the church of St. Lawrence with its 6 bells was WESTON UNDERWOOD who rang from 6.30 – 7pm.

Here are the happy bands for LECKHAMPSTEAD and St. Edmund’s at MAIDS MORETON

Here is a list of some of the towers and their times. It all started in THORNBOROUGH with St. Mary’s 5 bells at 9.30 – 10 o’clock. Then SHALSTONE St. Edward the Confessor with 5 bells 10.15-1045. Then STOWE’s Assumption Church with 6 bells from 10 o’clock -1030. The Assumption at LILLINGSTONE LOVELL 1045-11-15 with 5 bells. LECKHAMPSTEAD rang 11.15-11.45 at The Assumption church with 5 bells. St. Edmund’s 6 bells at MAIDS MORETON from 11 o’clock-11.30. BRADWELL’S St.Lawrence with 6 bells ringing from 12.30-1 o’clock. All Saints at LOUGHTON with 6 bells 12.45-1.15. SHENLEY’S St.Mary’s 6 bells 1 o’clock-1.30. St. Mary’s 8 bells at GREAT BRICKHILL who rang 2 o’clock -2.30. MILTON KEYNES Village rang 3.30-3.45 at All Saints with 8 bells. NEWPORT PAGNELL 4.15-4.45 at SS Peter & Paul with 8 bells.  St. Firmin’s 6 bells from 4.30-5 o’clock at NORTH CRAWLEY. The church of St. Laud at SHERINGTON rang 5 bells from 5 o’clock-5.30. EMBERTON’s All Saints with 6 bells from 5.15-5.45. WESTON UNDERWOOD rang from St.Lawrence and its 6 bells from 6.30-7 o’clock. And near the end of the day came STOKE GOLDINGTON who rang from 7 – 7.30 the 6 bells at St. Peters.

What a day.  WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT –  Well done to you all.

 This is the description of how the RforE Challenge of the ‘Rolling Ring’ was successfully rung throughout the day by the NORTH BUCKS Branch of the Oxford Guild

Thirty three towers from the North Bucks Branch of the Oxford Diocese Guild of Church Bell Ringers rang out for St George’s as part of the rolling ring challenge. The day begin at Thornborough the branches only steel ring of 5 bells, the day’s main organiser Linda was the first ringer to pull off at 9.30am and the ringers completed 30 minutes of ringing.

15 minutes later the bells in Buckingham could be heard. As the ringers at Thornborough stood their bells the visitors to the National Trust’s Capability Brown Gardens at Stowe had an extra special treat when the bells at the local parish church rang out prompty at 10 o’clock. So the pattern was set, the beautiful bells at Shallstone were next to ring and oh what a beautiful ring of 5 they are. The bells at Lillingstone Lovell were next followed by some special ringing at Maids Moreton, where the branches newest recruits who joined following the very successful New Year Open Day rang the bells, well done to each one of them!

Leckhamstead and Beachampton followed before the sound of Church bells reached the new town of Milton Keynes, known more for its roundabouts and concrete cows than its church bells. Never the less there are numerous ancient churches within Milton Keynes and the rolling ring weaved its way around them incorporating the surrounding villages as it headed east towards the M1: Bradwell, Loughton, Shenley Church End, Whaddon, Newton Longville, Calverton (following a wedding that took place within the church),Great Brickhill, Downs Barn (the newest and lightest ring of 8 bells in the branch), Simpson, Woughton-on-the Green, Wavendon, Milton Keynes Village and Great Linford.

Finally the sound of bells crossed the busy M1 to Newport Pagnell the home of iconic Aston Martin Works for more than 60 years before travelling on through North Crawley, Chicheley, Sherington, Emberton (where the Mayoress of Milton Keynes paid the ringers a visit), Clifton Reynes, Lavendon before reaching Olney, the home of the famous pancake race.

While noone is quite certain how the world famous Pancake Race at Olney started a couple of the stories are linked to the church bells: One story tells of a harassed housewife, hearing the shriving bell, dashing to the Church still clutching her frying pan containing a pancake. Another tells that the gift of pancakes may have been a bribe to the Ringer, or Sexton that he might ring the bell sooner; for ringing the bell signalled the beginning of the day’s holiday and enjoyment, no less than to summon the people to the service at which they would be shriven of their sins before the long Lenten feast.

After Olney the wave of sound turned back west travelling through Weston Underwood, Tryingham, Stoke Goldington before arriving at Hanslope. Hanslope’s historic tower can be seen from miles around, indeed if you are lucky enough to climb the tower on a clear day, you can see all the way to the Dunstable Downs. The day’s ringing ended at 7.45pm but in true bell ringing style the ringers retired to the local pub for a celebratory drink!

What a tremendous achievement WELL DONE to All the Wonderful Ringers