A little Bell ringing, Sir?

His Excellency has been pretty keen to have a go at most things and although he has no burning desire to become a campanologist, he was certainly very keen to ascend the tower at the Town Church and have a lesson in ringing the bells. 

Pictured on the front page with Duncan Loweth, the very enthusiastic leader of the bell ringers in Town, the Lieutenant-Governor was introduced to the training bells and having had a go himself, became ever more impressed at the beautiful fluidity later demonstrated by the crowd of bell ringers who made their way into that little chamber as the lesson ended and their real session began. 

There were three newcomers ready to watch and have another go alongside about a dozen regular bell-ringers all ready to take their turn. There were some young boys from Elizabeth College, where they are encouraged into the hobby from Year 7, a happy side effect of Mr Loweth being a Maths teacher at Elizabeth College, right through to a lovely lady in a traditional Guernsey jumper who has been bell-ringing for some 50 years. 

His Excellency was shown all the mod cons that enable the ringers to do complex tunes even when there are not many bell ringers on site and then he once again went up some winding tower steps to see the enormous bells themselves and as the largest was set ringing, it was certainly a sight to behold.