Author: bellsandbikes

"British eccentricity at its best," said @roadcc

Yorkshire Bells a Year Ago

June 25, 2015

Yorkshire church bells dominated the airwaves a year ago. You can still listen to some of it on iPlayer.

Sunday 6 July 2014. York Minster bells rang a quarter peal as the Tour de France peloton rode past. The Minster bells also featured on BBC Radio 4  Bells on Sunday that weekend.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b048j433

Chapel Allerton bells featured on Bells on Sunday the weekend before, 29 June. They were also filmed by ITV Calendar for inclusion in bellringing on the big screen at Leeds FD Arena in front of 10,000 fans and the world media in the 2014 Tour de France Opening Ceremony. They also rang on race day, Saturday 5 July as the riders processed from Leeds city centre to the formal start and Royal send off at Harewood House.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b047w8jz

Meanwhile, Otley church bells featured on BBC Songs of Praise Tour de France edition on Sunday 29 June.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p021rbk5

Have a listen. In fact why not have a go at bellringing. Wherever you live, you know where we are. It’s that great big tower over there…

Cycle to Church Sunday – 14 June 2015 – All Saints, Ecclesall

May 29, 2015

On 14 June, All Saints Ecclesall invites everyone and their bike to join us for the return of our hugely successful Cycle to Church Sunday.

Last year, we linked up with Marie Curie Cancer Care, the charity partner of Le Tour de France Grand Depart in Yorkshire. 209 people came along on bikes and we raised over £1,100 for Marie Curie.

This year we are supporting The Sheffield Children’s Hospital, the charity partner of Le Tour de Yorkshire 2015.

Please do come along. Please arrive by 10.30am and wear your very brightest Yorkshire cycling kit.

Here’s our story in The Sheffield Telegraph in 2014…

http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/a-wheely-large-flock-at-church-cycle-event-1-6668583

Here’s how we looked! Join us and get in the frame for 2015. Supporting The Children’s Hospital on the way!

Dave T - Group Photo 3

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 !