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Original poster

Church bells

434 replies

Isxmasoveryet · 17/11/2024 09:08

Am i being unreasonable to think churches should not be aloud to ring those damn bells for hours on end a few times a week it not very christain disturbing neighbours etc for several hours

OP posts:
Tomatina · 18/11/2024 22:24

YABU. Church bells are a beautiful sound. You're lucky.

TubeScreamer · 18/11/2024 22:02

The comments we always get from visitors are ‘it looks a lot harder than I expected’, ‘can I go flying up in the air’(no), and (from older people) ‘it’s nothing like the Mars Bar advert’.

TubeScreamer · 18/11/2024 22:00

Almost all towers would welcome with open arms any visitors who want to pop along to a practice, or even 10 minutes of a practice, to see what happens.

Playgroundincident · 18/11/2024 21:59

Nothing you can do about it so no point moaning.

TubeScreamer · 18/11/2024 21:55

katepilar · 18/11/2024 20:26

Could someone please explain to me why they need to practise this much?
Are most UK bells still rung manually? Are any rung automatically with electricity?

because it is really difficult to learn to ring bells. I’ve been doing it for 10 years and still think of myself as a learner.

99.99% are rung manually (I don’t actually know of any that aren’t, but someone will).

pollymere · 18/11/2024 21:52

I'm not sure I believe you that the bells are rung continuously from 8-11 on a Sunday. Their arms would fall off. Do you mean they are rung at 8am, 9.30am and 11am to call people to services?

Many towns only allow one church to ring bells so you are unlucky if you're close by. It's pretty usual though and signals that a service is about to start.

VickyPollard25 · 18/11/2024 21:02

Isxmasoveryet · 17/11/2024 09:08

Am i being unreasonable to think churches should not be aloud to ring those damn bells for hours on end a few times a week it not very christain disturbing neighbours etc for several hours

You mean “allowed”.

You are being completely unreasonable. It’s a Christian country.

EmmaMaria · 18/11/2024 21:02

Gotta love MN. Half a dozen threads complaining about Muslims and loudly declaring what a threat they are in a Christian country, whilst whining about the ringing of church bells.

katepilar · 18/11/2024 20:26

Could someone please explain to me why they need to practise this much?
Are most UK bells still rung manually? Are any rung automatically with electricity?

Youhadmeathello1 · 18/11/2024 20:25

As a bell ringer, that sounds rather excessive. 8-11 in a Sunday morning would be ringing right through service!? At my church we ring from 9.30-10 to call for worship and one hour in the week for practice. There may be odd other times for weddings, funerals and visiting ringers.

Feelinadequate23 · 18/11/2024 20:22

Isxmasoveryet · 17/11/2024 09:13

Due to circumstances didnt have a choice on location and was unaware they would ring for several hours at a time due to anxiety and stress it drives me mad and at times feels like torture last Sunday was 5'5 hours of it non stop it over 3 hours twice a week

Ok this is excessive. We live near a church and I love to hear the bells but it’s literally 20 mins on a Sunday and about and hour one night a week

Gloriia · 18/11/2024 20:19

EmmaMaria · 18/11/2024 20:06

Gosh, it's amazing that the church has a strong enough structure and enough campanologists to do that for several hours a week. They might stop if you learn how to spell "allowed".

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We know what she meant.

Oldnproud · 18/11/2024 20:17

Canaryringer · 18/11/2024 18:19

Practice will still only last just over an hour, from 7.30 til 9.

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It might where you are, but it certainly doesnt at our village church.

Practice here is normally on a Saturday, starting around 11am and regularly lasts well over 2 hours.

EmmaMaria · 18/11/2024 20:06

Isxmasoveryet · 17/11/2024 09:13

Due to circumstances didnt have a choice on location and was unaware they would ring for several hours at a time due to anxiety and stress it drives me mad and at times feels like torture last Sunday was 5'5 hours of it non stop it over 3 hours twice a week

Gosh, it's amazing that the church has a strong enough structure and enough campanologists to do that for several hours a week. They might stop if you learn how to spell "allowed".

Gloriia · 18/11/2024 20:02

mamamamamamamamamamachameleon · 18/11/2024 19:37

This. With bells on (sorry...)🙂

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The op has said she is in a hostel. I'd imagine available places are few and far between.
Extensive bell practise and bell ringing is absolutely not ok.

mamamamamamamamamamachameleon · 18/11/2024 19:37

SausageRoll2020 · 17/11/2024 09:09

I'm going to take a gamble here and presume that the church was there before you moved in nearby...

YABU

This. With bells on (sorry...)🙂

BooBooDoodle · 18/11/2024 19:26

A local church in our town was given specific times to practice as the majority of the neighbourhood complained that much it got taken to the town hall for a vote. Having heard the bells myself when visiting family, there is no way I could have tolerated it. What a disorganised racket and for hours most nights. You would have a different view if you lived there with babies that needed sleep or like most in our town, many are on back shifts with our local ship yard. The bells were sent away for refurbishment which took 7 years in total due to astronomical costs which were raised by fundraising , lots of houses in the area were sold because agents told them there were no bells in the church tower. That was true at the time but for the last 6 years they’ve been catching up on the years missed practice they went without. They get Saturday and Sunday for a few hours.

Askingforafriendtoday · 18/11/2024 19:22

Singleandproud · 17/11/2024 09:13

Church bells are lovely YABU, perhaps become a church ringer so it doesn't annoy you so much 😀

That's an excellent suggestion

Canaryringer · 18/11/2024 18:54

Fluufer · 18/11/2024 18:26

Oh lol. No, it lasts hours here too every wednesday. I'm going to time it this week out of curiousity. It does end around 9, but starts well before 7.30. And it's not very good. I always assumed it's contingency given the average age of bellringers.

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if there are a lot of learners it might start at 7 just to give everyone a chance.

Fluufer · 18/11/2024 18:26

Canaryringer · 18/11/2024 18:19

Practice will still only last just over an hour, from 7.30 til 9.

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Oh lol. No, it lasts hours here too every wednesday. I'm going to time it this week out of curiousity. It does end around 9, but starts well before 7.30. And it's not very good. I always assumed it's contingency given the average age of bellringers.

Moversnotshakers · 18/11/2024 18:26

We are next door ro a church but they only ring the bells for a 5 mins practice on a sunday at 9.55 til 10. Then 5 mins after the service at approx 11 ish. I love hearing them and it makes me smile

Canaryringer · 18/11/2024 18:24

Commoncold · 17/11/2024 09:21

Those are not unreasonable times to be ringing bells.

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As a ringer I have never known ringing going on past 9pm

Canaryringer · 18/11/2024 18:22

Isxmasoveryet · 17/11/2024 09:16

8am to 11 every Sunday morning 7pm to 10 pm every Thursday and whenever they can in between

Churches do not allow ringing past 9pm. I have never heard of ringing from 8 till 11 on Sunday. I think you are mistaken. In fact I would 100% say you are, as I know about ringing practices.

Canaryringer · 18/11/2024 18:19

Oldnproud · 18/11/2024 16:03

I think it could easily be if it is like our church - a lot of people turn up for practice (can see that from the number of cars parked there), so I presume that it isn't the same people ringing non-stop, but people swapping around and taking turns. It still adds up to many hours of continuous bell ringing to be heard from outside.

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Practice will still only last just over an hour, from 7.30 til 9.

Canaryringer · 18/11/2024 18:16

You are exaggerating the length of time. No church would allow over 5 hours. Sometimes for special occasions there will be a full peal for 3 hours, but it will not happen often. Sometimes visitors, sometimes wedding ringing. Other than that there will be a practice lasting just over an hour one evening, and half an hour for Sunday ringing. A lot of churches have sound control so they do not make so much noise. They will have agreed the amount of ringing with the PCC.