Bells Celebrate the Life of Rowland Hall B.E.M

The Bells of All Saints' Church Swanton Morley rang prior to a service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Rowland Hall B.E.M. Rowland Hall, who's grandson Aaron is Tower Captain, lived in the village after coming out of the RAF. He had served for many years as president of the Dereham Branch of the Royal British Legion. The band consisted of Aaron Hall, Lee Fox, Sarah Seaman, Ted Conyers, Mark Tweedie, Sheila Smith and Janet Yeoman.

Bells Ring out 2012 and In 2013

Tuesday, 1 January, 2013
Once again the ringers of Swanton Morley took part in the age old tradition of ringing out the old Year and ringing in the New. The bells rung out for the last few minutes of 2012 before one by one standing, fading out along with the old year leaving just the tenor to strike 12 on the stroke of midnight. To welcome the new year the original 5 bells pealed out in joyful celebration.  The band was 1. Mark Tweedie, 2. Fiona Joisce, 3. Helen Watson, 4. Ted Conyers, 5. Aaron Hall. After the ringing the ringers took part in their own tradition of singing Auld Lang Syne.

Celebratory Quarter Peal

The bell ringers rang a quarter of 1260 Plain Bob Doubles to celebrate the Golden Wedding Anniversary of Celia and Gordon Barker before the practice tonight. The band was made up of Ted Conyers, Sheila Smith, Sarah Seaman, Brian Laing, Aaron Hall (conductor) and Fiona Joisce

School Children visit the Tower

The Year 3/4M class from Swanton Morley Primary School took a trip up the bell tower today to have find out what ringing is all about as part of their RE work. Tower Captain Aaron Hall, who works with the class as a teaching assistant explained all about the history of the tower and the bells which sit in it to the assembled group. The children were then given a short ringing demonstration of rounds and call changes as well as a short blast of plain hunt on five. To round off their visit up the tower Class Teacher Nutan Mulholland and Teaching Assistant Sarah Sadler were invited to have a go...we have two potiental ringers there!

Jubilee Bells Ring Out

Monday, 4 June, 2012
The bell ringers of All Saints Church Swanton Morey have rung, along with ringers across the whole country, to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II at both Swanton Morley Church and Beetley Church.
The celebratory ringing started on Sunday at Swanton Morley, as the team rang rounds and call changes before a special Jubliee Service at the Church. The ringers were: Mark Tweedie, Claire Willetts, Fiona Joisce, Richard Joisce, Ted Conyers, Lee Fox and Aaron Hall (conductor). There was then a mad dash across to St Mary Magdalene Church Beetley to ring on the eight bells there, some more rounds and call changes after Beetley's special Jubilee Service. The team there was made up of Brian Laing, Fiona Joisce, Helen Watson, Claire Willetts, Ted Conyers, Lee Fox and Aaron Hall. For many of the ringers there it was their first time ringing on the very light bells of Beetley, but the whole team did fantastically well.
The ringers then returned up the tower on Monday evening to ring as thousands of Beacons were lit across the country including two at Swanton Morley. As the beacon was lit at Darby's public house (just down from the church) and fireworks started to fill the sky the ringers broke into a loud rendition of the National Anthem (whilst ringing some very quick rounds!). The ringers who rang were: Aaron Hall, Ted Conyers, Mark Tweedie, Helen Watson, Fiona Joisce, Richard Joisce, Elizabeth Joisce, Claire Willetts, Brian Laing, Alyson Booth and Barry Leech.

Wedding Bells 46 Days later!

It's traditional for the bells of All Saints Church to ring straight after a wedding as the bride and groom walk into the outside world for the first time as man and wife, however for The Rev Jenny Taylor and her husband Charles Green it was a whole 46 days later! This was because they were married at the Norfolk and Norwich University hospital on Wednesday 29th February before Charles underwent a high-risk heart procedure, which he was told the chance of survival were slim, however Charles proved the doctors wrong and well over a month after the operation he is recovering well. Both Jenny and Charles have supported many of the events held by the ringers, and feeling bad that they never got bells after their wedding at the hospital, the ringers decided that they would ring for them one Sunday. So after the service on Sunday 15th April the ringers rang 120 call changes for the happy couple. After which Tower Captain Aaron Hall presented them with a certificate to commemorate the special ring. The band was made up of Mark Tweedie, Claire Willetts, Fiona Joisce, Helen Watson, Ted Conyers and Aaron Hall (who conducted). Click here to see the ringers with the happy couple after the ringing

Bells for the Light Dragoons

The ringers of All Saints rang prior to a special service conducted by the Rev Adrian Aubrey-Jones for the troops of Roberston Barracks prior to their deployment to Afghanistain in the coming weeks. The troops were presented with special wooden crosses which they will take with them on their tour.   The ringers rang from 1:30pm till the start of the service at 2:00pm.

Ring out the old and Ring in the New

The ringers of Swanton Morley took part in the age old tradition of ringing out the old Year and ringing in the New Year as friends and family watched on. The bells rung out for the last few minutes of 2011 before one by one standing, fading out along with the old year  leaving just the tenor to strike  12 on the stroke of midnight. To welcome the new year all 6 bells pealed out in joyful celebration some extremely well struck rounds and call changes. The band was 1. Mark Tweedie, 2. Sarah Seaman, 3. Claire Willetts, 4. Helen Watson, 5. Ted Conyers, 6. Aaron Hall. After ringing the band, along with their families descended the tower to watch the numerous fireworks being set off around the village. 

Ring out the Old and Ring in the New

The ringers of Swanton Morley took part in the age old tradition of ringing out the old Year and ringing in the New Year as friends and family watched on. The bells rung out for the last few minutes of 2011 before one by one standing, fading out along with the old year  leaving just the tenor to strike 12 on the stroke of midnight. To welcome the new year all 6 bells pealed out in joyful celebration some extremely well struck rounds and call changes. The band was 1. Mark Tweedie, 2. Sarah Seaman, 3. Claire Willettes, 4. Helen Watson, 5. Ted Conyers, 6. Aaron Hall. After ringing the band, along with their families descended the tower to watch the numerous fireworks being set off around the village.

Funeral of WO2 Grant Armstrong

The ringers of All Saints Church Swanton Morley rang half muffled prior to the funeral of W02 Grant Armstrong, from the Light Dragoons based in Swanton Morley. 

School's Visit to the tower

School children from Year 3 and 4 from Swanton Morley Primary School took the long climb up the tower of All Saints Church to visit the ringing chamber and learn a bit about the bells of Swanton Morley Church as well as ringing in general. They were then treated to a short ringing demonstration by three of the ringers of All Saints. It was part the year group's visit to the church's flower festival which they had created a rainforest display. 

The bells of All Saints joined in with National celebration of the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton with a quarter peal of plain bob doubles. During the day Prince William and Catherine Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, married at Westminsters Abbey. The bells provided the perfect background sound to villagers street parties and BBQs  with a special quarter peal of 1260 Plain Bob Doubles. The band was made up of 1. Ted Conyers, 2. Shelia Smith, 3. Mark Tweedie, 4, Brain Laing, 5. Aaron Hall (conductor) 6. Celia Barker.

Celebrating the Royal Wedding

The bells of All Saints joined in with National celebration of the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton with a quarter peal of plain bob doubles. During the day Prince William and Catherine Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, married at Westminster Abbey. The bells provided the perfect background sound to villagers street parties and BBQs  with a special quarter peal of 1260 Plain Bob Doubles. The band was made up of 1. Ted Conyers, 2. Shelia Smith, 3. Mark Tweedie, 4, Brain Laing, 5. Aaron Hall (conductor) 6. Celia Barker. See photo gallery for photos of the quarter peal band.

Welcoming bells...

Pupils from Swanton Morley Primary School we welcomed to their All Saints Church for their special Easter service by the bells of All Saints. The band, made up of Shelia Smith, Brian Laing, Tom Davis and Aaron Hall, rang Plain Bob Minimus as the children walked in the gorgeous spring sunshine from the village school to the church. Many of the children were excited to hear the bells knowing they were being rung for them

First Quarter Peal of the Year

Ringers from All Saints rang their first quarter peal of 2011 to celebrate the Pearl Wedding anniversary of Janet and Ian Alderton of Swanton Morley. The band was made up of 1. Ted Conyers, 2 Mark Tweedie, 3. Chris Brown, 4. Brain Laing, 5. Aaron Hall (conductor) and 6. Celia Barker