bells and bikes

Programme of Events – updated 2 July

July 1, 2014

Latest programme available at

And in the attached file here… YFest Bells Press Release – July Ringing Dates 2 July

Now featuring public open days at Grinton 28 June, Ilkley 5 July, Chapel Allerton 5 July and York St Martins 6 July.

Visiting ringers would be very welcome to help at Chapel Allerton too. Please let Peter Oldfield know at pplb.oldfield@ntlworld.com

Come along and find out more about bellringing.

Holmbridge – bring a bell 3 July

July 1, 2014

Holmbridge Welcomes Le Tour!

Holmbridge festivities for Le Tour start with bell ringing at 8.20pm as part of the county wide “big ring” for Le Tour – a welcome from all across the county.

All are welcome – bring a bell and a bike!

St David’s Church Holmbridge

We invite everyone to come in and find some sacred space and a moment of quiet from the chaos outside.

Visit the labyrinth in the church – a spiritual journey, and representing the circle (or even cycle!) of life. Explore the stations around the church – gaze on the images, read, touch, smell, sit and reflect, seek God. Christians have been using the labyrinth since the 4^th century, most notably in the great mediaeval churches of Europe, the last remaining one is at Chartres, France.

You are welcome to just sit and relax, to pray, to light a candle for a loved one

Le Tour comes to the Artistic Holme Valley Competition – we had over 500 entries from Upper Holme Valley schoolchildren on a Tour de France theme – paintings, pastels, colouring and even some with ‘pyramid’ poems. Prizewinning bicycles will also be displayed on the Le Tour Bend Mural on the stage in the Parish Hall.

The Prize Winning Bicycles will be displayed on the St David’s Le Tour Bend Mural in the Parish Hall

Tea, coffee and biscuits and cakes from the café in the West End Room, with toilet and baby changing facilities

Opening Hours : Friday 6-9pm

Saturday 10-9pm

Sunday 8-6pm

Holmbridge Cricket Club

Holmbridge C is open from early Friday morning till 10pm every evening over the TDF weekend.

Food festival and beer Marquee open for breakfasts and food. Big screen TVs in the Marquee to watch the race, tennis, F1, and the World Cup. You don’t have to miss anything all weekend. Plenty of flat open space right beside the road to have picnics and enjoy the atmosphere of the 3 days.

The Bridge Pub

At the Bridge, a 3 day tour outdoor festival starts Friday and is open all weekend,.

There is live music, great beer, great food and big screen showing race Saturday and Sunday.

Holmbridge is the place to be !! .

Sandy Wise DWIse320@aol.com 07718 762411

Towers on Tour

July 1, 2014

And here are our churches featuring in the Opening Ceremony.

Cawthorne, South Yorkshire. Near Barnsley

Ossett, West Yorkshire. Near Wakefield.

Chapel Allerton, in north Leeds, 200m from Stage 1 race route

And Masham in the Dales. Big parties planned here for Stage 1 🙂

There will also be ringing from towers all over Yorkshire. And you are welcome to join us from wherever you are with a bike bell or handbell or even an app (google it and you’ll soon find a bell app for your phone).

Here’s just a few other great Tour towers…

Its About The Bells and the Bikes

June 30, 2014

Its not all about the bells? Well of course it mainly is.

But back to cycling for a moment

Have you tried cycle touring? Have you spent a day exploring your neighbourhood by bike? Have you spent a week living on your bike on holiday? Please do have a go. You experience so many wonderful things on a bike that you just wouldn’t in a car – the sights from a different height, a different pace, the scents, the chat. I’m no pro cyclist. But I like my bike. And here’s one of my favourite photos as we crossed the Port d’Envalira into Andorra. This wonderful Pyrennean summit strangely decorated with two petrol stations. And yes that’s the same spotty top I wear most days!

West Tanfield welcomes Le Tour

June 30, 2014

West Tanfield has a most beautiful church and a very enthusiastic band who are at the heart of village preparations for Le Tour.

I met the band last August on a day scouting The Dales. We had a great time ringing and an equally fine pint next door. The village was already well into Tour plans a year ago. Check out their website below to see the huge range of events planned for the coming weekend. Bellringing will be one of many activities. Nice Post Office too 🙂

http://www.west-tanfield.com/tour-de-france/

BBC Songs of Praise – 29 June

June 27, 2014

On 26 March, Otley bellringers welcomed BBC Songs of Praise to town. The programme will be aired on Sunday 29 June (5.25pm), the weekend before Le Tour.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b048nb70

The ringers enjoyed a relaxed time filming with presenter Connie Fisher and a fine film crew.

The Wharfedale Observer and Ilkley Gazette have both published the story.

A big thank you to BBC Songs Of Praise, the Wharfedale Observer and the Ilkley Gazette.

Bells on BBC Radio Leeds

June 26, 2014

Delighted to discuss bellringing for Le Tour and for its Opening Ceremony on BBC Radio Leeds, the Liz Green Breakfast Show, on Thursday 26 June.

Rod’s interview starts at 1:43:40 on the link below and lasts 4 minutes.

It includes a recording of ringing from Penistone St Johns and live handbells from the studio. Thank you to BBC Radio Leeds 🙂

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p020ws8y

Bells on Sunday – Yorkshire Double

June 26, 2014

As we approach the final week before Le Tour de France, we have a double bill of Yorkshire bells on the way for you. Two towers, both on the race route.

On Sunday 29 June we have Chapel Allerton. 6 bells. 7cwt in B flat.

On Sunday 6 July we have York Minster. 14 bells. 59cwt in B flat.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006sgsh/broadcasts/upcoming

The York broadcast will be on the very morning that Le Tour starts Stage 2 in the city of York.

The Wombel of WimBellDon

June 26, 2014

Enjoying Wimbledon but fancy a bit of bellringing to spice it up?

You need the Leeds Waterfront Festival this weekend 28 / 29 June.

The “Wombel” training bell will be there all weekend for the public to come and have a go.

It has been used recently at Dewsbury Minster Fest and at the media launch of the Yorkshire Festival Programme back in January. It went down a storm both times.

Tell your non ringing friends to get down to Thwaites Mill and have a go.

Wim Bell done.

Grinton – Tower Open Day 28 June

June 23, 2014

Grinton Church (St Andrews) welcomes the world to its Tower Open Day this Saturday, 28 June from 10am to 4pm. Come along and have a go

Displays, demonstrations, have a go. And, oh yes, refreshments.

Its a most beautiful place. And it is superbly located at the foot of the Cote de Grinton on Stage 1 of the 2014 Tour de France.

http://www.2dales.org.uk/diarydates.html

Some wonderful photos via google search at