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Bell ringer makes 'ap-peal' for more volunteers

Annabel Amos,in Higham Ferrersand
Alex Pope,Northamptonshire
News imageAnnabel Amos/BBC Bob Dennis standing in a church, with a bald head, wearing a checked shirt. Pews are behind him, with archways behind him. He is looking at the camera. Annabel Amos/BBC
Bob Dennis, who lives in Higham Ferrers, would like to hand over his role to someone younger

A devoted bell ringer is ap-pealing for more volunteers to learn the ropes and claims mastering the skill is no different to learning to drive.

Bob Dennis, 81, is the tower captain at St Mary's Church, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, and has clocked up 64 years in the art of campanology.

He said he had joined fellow bell ringers and rung in churches in the US, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands, as it was "the same technique wherever you go".

He said more ringers were needed "as we all start to get older, we need people to replace us", adding: "I'm now in my 80s and beginning to suffer with arthritis."

Dennis is proud of his "superb" church's bells that were restored 12 years ago as they have "one of the better peals of bells in Northamptonshire".

He said two new bells were added, and people come from "miles around" to ring them.

"Bell ringers love doing this, and we like having visitors come here," he said.

"Bells, once they're cast, they can go on for hundreds of years.

"We've got bells from 1611 through to 2014."

News imageAnnabel Amos/BBC The inside of a church tower, showing a number of bell ropes with purple Sallys. The tower is made of light stone. Annabel Amos/BBC
St Mary's has a ring of 10 bells which are rung regularly for Sunday services but also for special occasions - and when the Farmer's Market is held

Dennis said he took up bell ringing at 16 in 1962, for the financial incentive.

"My dad was the vicar, we had a church that was a sort of wedding factory on Saturdays," he said.

"The ringers got 10 shillings for a wedding - and two or three weddings on a Saturday afternoon rendered me not quite so penniless."

News imageAnnabel Amos/BBC A row of Sally jugs, on a wall, above a plaque. The wall is made of light stone and the Sally lugs are black. Annabel Amos/BBC
The church's previous Sally jugs, the thick, fluffy woolly grip located on the bell rope, are proudly displayed on the wall

He said that as well a ringing the bells at his local church he made sure he also got involved "when we go on holiday".

"I very much like to go and ring with the locals," he said.

He confirmed it is the same technique wherever you go and it can take you to master the skill as long to learn as it "takes you to learn to drive a car".

"You've got to co-ordinate the steering, the gears, the brakes, the clutch, the signals - in bell ringing you've got to co-ordinate different things."

News imageAnnabel Amos/BBC A plaque on the wall of a church, painted mostly black with gold writing. Annabel Amos/BBC
St Mary's Higham Ferrers proudly displays when the bells were last rung before and after restoration

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