Author: bellsandbikes

"British eccentricity at its best," said @roadcc

Stage 2 Highlights – Tour de Yorkshire

May 2, 2015

Stage 2 of the Tour de Yorkshire (Saturday 2 May 2015) saw a rich variety of churches, bellringing and community decorations.

In the 21 photos below I share images from Bubwith, Holme on Spalding Moor, Norton on Derwent and Wetwang.

You don’t have to be a cyclist to love the Tour de Yorkshire.

Just look at how all these communities have got into the spirit. Brilliant!65 01 Bubwith church and cross 65 10 Bubwith bike on bus stop 65 15 HoSM church 3 landscape 65 18 HoSM cyclist at church 2 65 20 HoSM band 2 65 25 HoSM view up to church 3 sky 65 34 HoSM village sign landscape 65 36 HoSM House with Y flag 1 65 40 HoSM Caterpillar bike 1 65 42 HoSM School Yorkshire banner 65 47 Norton church 2 landscape 65 49 Norton church 4 portrait 65 52 Norton church Le Tour de Life service 65 54 Norton church band 65 56 Norton banner 1 65 60 Norton dressed tree trunks 65 62 Norton delays sign and blue bike 2 65 64 Norton with Frank Lamingo Ryan Swain 65 65 Norton Next Steps cafe bike cakes 65 75 Wetwang church 2 daffodils 65 80 Wetwang church 7 sign and bike

Le Tour Yorkshire – Ringing Update

May 1, 2015

The bells did indeed ring out for Stage 1 of the Tour de Yorkshire. Ringing that I am aware of which has been done or will be done is as follows. Other towers are ringing too, but exact confirmations awaited still.  Thanks especially to the Beverley & District Ringing Society for leading the way.

Stage 1 (Bridlington to Scarborough)

Bridlington, Flamborough, Middleton, Pickering

Stage 2 (Selby to York)

Selby Abbey, Nunburnholme, Bubwith, Holme on Spalding Moor, Market Weighton, Walkington, Beverley Minster, Beverley St Mary’s, Norton on Derwent

Stage 3 (Wakefield to Leeds)

Sandal, Barnsley, Cawthorne, New Mill, Meltham, Otley

If you visit http://www.yacr.org.uk (the website of The Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers) you can find full details of all churches with bells for change ringing in Yorkshire. It will include details of practice nights and you would typically be most welcome to come along and have a go.

“Bellringers Herald Cyclists” is a formal event in the Yorkshire Festival this year, following on from its inclusion as a headline event in the 2014 Festival ahead of Le Tour de France in Yorkshire.

Follow me @Bellsandbikes on Twitter for regular updates.

Bells on BBC Radio Sheffield

April 1, 2015

Listen to church bells on BBC Radio Sheffield via the link below. (1:39:15)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02mb621#auto

In 2014, church bells took centre stage in the Tour de France Opening Ceremony and all along the race route.  We now have the chance to do it all again in 2015.

The 2015 Yorkshire Festival runs from 1 April to 3 May, concluding with the Tour de Yorkshire pro-cycling race from Friday 1 May to Sunday 3 May.

Click above to listen to Rod Ismay talking to Paul Walker, live on the BBC Radio Sheffield Breakfast Show.  Rod’s interview starts at 1:39:15, including a recording of Yorkshire Surprise Major.  Rod’s interview is preceded by the Yorkshire Festival Director, Mark Fielding, discussing the broader festival from 1:37:50

2015 Bells – Tour de Yorkshire and Yorkshire Festival

February 5, 2015

Yorkshire bellringers who participated in the 2014 Tour de France and the 2014 Yorkshire Festival had a great time.  Bells captured the imagination of the public and the media.

Now we can do it again! The inaugural Tour de Yorkshire pro cycle race takes place from Friday 1 May to Sunday 3 May 2015.  We have over 40 churches with bells on the race route.

We have also been accepted in the 2015 Yorkshire Festival as an event inviting people to come along and find out more about bellringing at our practice nights.

Whether you are a bellringer reading this, or a non ringer who is interested by what is going on, please click the link below to find out more.  This could be exciting …..

https://bellsandbikes.com/2015-2/

Writing the book – of bells and bikes

December 16, 2014

After an unbelievable year of bellringing for The Yorkshire Festival, for Le Tour de France in Yorkshire and for the Tour Opening Ceremony, there is much to tell of bells and of bikes.

The book is taking shape. Narrative half way. Discussions ongoing with some wonderful contributors. Several exciting chats already. A few calls to make still. Hope to share more news soon.

If you have ideas, questions or perhaps would like to support, do drop me a line here or @bellsandbikes on Twitter. Or the equally well named Bells and Bikes on Facebook.

Keeeeeep ringing !

Le Tour – the Variety of Bells

November 24, 2014

As the venues for the Grand Departs of the Tour de France change, so does the style of the bells.

Here’s a clip for a tower near to the start of each of the last two and next two Tours.

2013 Corsica, France

St Jean Baptiste Cathedral, Bastia

2014 Leeds, UK

Leeds Minster – nice mp3 clip of their bells (ok on computer may not appear on phone)

http://www.leedsminster.org/Music/Bells/2/

2015 Utrecht, Netherlands

A carillon where one person can play dozens of bells from a keyboard a little like a church organ.

2016 La Manche, France

The bells of Mont St Michel.

 

Bike Bell Orchestra – World Record 9 August

August 6, 2014

Join the Bike Bell Orchestra on 9 August at the launch of the Prudential London Ride. Its their Guinness World Record attempt at the largest bike bell orchestra. Fabulous idea.  Do join them and make it happen. More info via:

The call is out to recruit 600 cyclists to join the Prudential RideLondon Bike Bell Orchestra in Guildhall Yard to play a special arrangement of Westminster Chimes.

The existing record was set with 503 participants in Germany in 2003.

“This is a wonderful way to start the day,” said Event Director Hugh Brasher. “After Big Ben chimes 9.00 on Saturday 9 August, our orchestra of 600+ bike bells will play the Westminster Chimes to officially open this year’s Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle. London will never have heard anything like it before.”

The bike bell orchestra will be conducted by Dominic Wheeler, who has conducted many orchestras and operas during his distinguished career but this is his first time working with bike bells.

Participants can register now for the event and to join the Prudential RideLondon Bike Bell Orchestra at www.PrudentialRideLondon.co.uk/FreeCycle  It’s free and all registrants will receive a tabard and magazine plus a goody bag at the Prudential RideLondon Cycling Show.

Participants in the Guinness World Record attempt must arrive in Guildhall Yard by 0800 on Saturday 9 August for rehearsal. Bike bells will be provided.