Things happening and worth celebrating in the benefice
The Flower Festival was a great success. We were very lucky to have Linda Armstrong, who, of course, plays Sister Brigid in ITV's The Royal to open the Festival for us.
Over the three days we were visited by between four and five hundred people. We also greatly enjoyed the linked music and were treated to a Twilight Concert with Duo Durado on Friday evening and on Saturday we 'Pulled out all the Stops' with our own Bill Fudge. Our appeal for donations for the Ampthill Cheshire Home (Leonard Cheshire Disability) raised £1200 to which was added a £200 donation from the Music Festival.
We are most grateful to all those who arranged the flowers, the organisations who sponsored displays, the tea ladies and all those who helped in so many ways. We thank the Clergy and Churchwardens who supported us and helped in many ways and Mr Alan Richardson who organised the Songs of Praise on Sunday evening, an outstanding success with Ampthill Town Band, the members of St Andrew's Church Choir and the Baroque Singers.
A very big thank you to all of you from Isobel and Ann
From Alan Richardson
I would like to convey my thanks to everyone who helped in any way to make the Music Festival such a success. Musicians, singers, organists, players, tea ladies, everyone who joined in, came to or shared in our concerts in any way. We had a wonderful week full of colour, beauty and music and everyone (not just Bill!) pulled out all the stops to make it so. Please accept my grateful thanks to you all for all your efforts.
Alan
They're back!!
The bells have now been repaired and are sounding great. The bill for repairs has yet to be paid so if you can help there is still time!!
St Andrew’s Church bells are silent until essential repairs are carried out!
Following our annual maintenance visit from Taylors of Loughborough, we were strongly advised not to ring bells 4 and 7 due to loose and rusted parts. As we only have 8 bells this effectively stops us ringing any of the bells. The following short history gives the background to the problems.
A Short History of St Andrew’s Church bells and the Current Situation.
There have been bells at St Andrew’s for about 500 years with wills of 1490 and 1504 making mention of them. In 1708 a glebe terrier mentions “five bells and a clock”. One of these bells was cast in 1665 by Christopher Graye an itinerant bell founder in Ampthill. We still have this bell although it was recast in 1898.
Although various maintenance and other works were carried out prior to 1894 it was in that year that the then Rector J.G.S. Nichol had the bells inspected by Taylor’s of Loughborough who reported them to be in a ‘very unsatisfactory condition’. As a consequence of this in 1898 all 5 bells as there were then, were taken to Taylor’s to be recast and a cast iron frame was installed in the tower to hang the bells from all at a cost of £251 16s. The previous frame was almost certainly wooden and it was reported that the stone work that the frame rested on was loose!
As far as we are aware apart from the addition of one bell in 1899 and the two bells in 1980 to make 8, this is the last time any major work was carried out on the bells.
The current problems concern the 5 largest bells (those that were re-cast in 1898). They rotate in plain bearings and on the largest of the bells there are now lubrication problems which makes them difficult to ring for any length of time. Therefore, we would like to change the plain bearings for ball bearings which the 3 smallest bells have. Additionally, the latest annual check-up revealed that the clapper bushes (the clapper swings inside the bell to make it dong) on three of the oldest bells were worn and need replacing; together with the mountings of the two of the larger bells are showing signs of working loose. Also we have been advised by
Currently we have about £2000 towards this and are looking at other sources of grants. However, all donations no matter how large or small would be gratefully received.
If you would like to make a donation please contact either John Hele on 01525 840278 or Peter Chapman on 01525 404419.