Visitors arrive to ring bells

Press, 5 September 1981, Page 6

Visitors arrive to ring bells

About 40 people are visiting Christchurch from as far away as Britain and South Africa to join the Christchurch Cathedral Society of Bellringers in celebrating its centenary. Although the bells were installed in November, 1881, people interested in forming a society of bellringers got together before then. For that reason, it had been decided to celebrate the centenary now, rather than clash' with the Cathedral’s I centenary in November, said i Dr R. G. T. Bennett, master i of the bellringers. The visitors, apart from i those from other parts of i New Zealand, include a family from South Africa (both parents and two boys I aged about nine, ring bells), a 1 Malaysian from Sydney, and ; people from Australia and I Britain. I

The bellringers ranged in age from children to-retired people, although the younger, ones cannot handle the more physically demanding “changes.” said Dr Bennett. Bells ' will chime at St Paul’s in Papanui today, too, as the ' visitors try out a smaller six-bell church. The group is trying to raise money to renovate those bells. "It is a good-fun. cheap hobby and it gives you an instant group of friends all over the world," said Miss Kitty Norris, of the Christchurch St Laurence Church, in central Sydney, “You just walk into any belfry and you have got a friend, and if you drop them a postcard before you arrive they will pick you up from the airport.” she said.