Sister Jutson Rings Christchurch Bells

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7298, 27 October 1933, Page 2

Sister Jutson Rings Christchurch Bells

Christchurch Cathedral possesses a very beautiful peal of bcls, of which the city is justly proud, and last week the chimes were rung by a woman. She is one of the leading English women bellringers, Sister Kathleen Jutson, of the Church Army. Sister Jutson has l’ung many famous peals, including thoso of York Minster, Lincoln, Hereford- and Peterborough Cathedrals and Selby and Croyland Abbeys. She has also rung the record peal for a woman in England of 9380 changes. This feat required six hours and 30 minutes to complete, and was achieved at West Deeping Parish Church, Lincolnshire. Sister Jutson thought the Christchurch bells rang very well. They were easier to ring than many, since the ropes wero comparatively short, so that the ringer had a good control over the bells. One set of chimes she had rung, that at Croyland Abbey, had ropes 90ft. long. The elasticity of such a long rope made it much harder to control the bells accurately, as well as making it more strenuous work to ring them. "Not only do the bells go well here,” stated Sister Jutson to a southern reporter, "but also the ringers do remarkably well. ■ 1 have rung with hundreds of ringers at Home, so 1 ought to know.” Sister Jutson conducted several of the peals rung, which included Grandsire Triples, Treble Bob Minors, Bob Minors, Bob Doubles, Grandsire Doubles and a Stedman "In Hand” doubles — names which, though they may seem strango to the general public, w'ill be very familiar, to the many old members of the Canterbury Bellringers’ Society. Sister Jutson will leave Christchurch iu a few days’ time, but she hopes to return during November and will take part in the ringing of the Cathedral bells again.