Gary Verity talks bells

In the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Tour de France in the FD Arena at Leeds, bellringing received kind words from Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire.

Arena - bell  Arena - MashamArena - crowd

“My greatest thanks for tonight is deserved for every man, woman and child who supported, encouraged and believed in our dream. As I speak, 600 bell ringers across 60 churches across the county are ringing hundreds of bells in celebration of this moment, in itself an inspirational example of what we can achieve together.

“I am certain that thousands of young people across the UK will be inspired by the champions of cycling this weekend.

“This is our destiny – you are part of history – vive la Yorkshire vive la Tour de France.”

The Tour de France riders were presented to the world’s media and to a crowd of over 10,000 in the Arena.

Bands played including Embrace, Alistair Griffin & Kimberley Walsh, Opera North and Hope & Social.

Every day folk across the county had their say on film “Bienvenue a Yorkshire”.

And the event reached a climax with an absolutely enormous standing ovation for Gary. Bigger even than the cheers for any of the cyclists. Well, we were in Yorkshire after all. A big warm welcome to everyone, but a rapturous cheer for the man whose idea and energy made this whole thing possible.

Massive thank you to ITV Calendar for filming with us – Simon, our cameraman, even started to learn bellringing.  Brian never lets any into Cawthorne without a lesson on the bells.

Now, for the race. And, ahem, some bellringing. Look to…. Trebles going… #bepartofit @YFest2014 @LeTourYorkshire @LeTour

http://www.letour.yorkshire.com

 

8.20pm – Bells in Opening Ceremony 3 July

Ringing at 8.20pm for the Opening Ceremony.

Thursday 3 July – ring across the county at 8.20pm for the Opening Ceremony.  Cawthorne, Masham and Chapel Allerton pre-recorded along with Yorkshire Tykes band at Ossett.

Check the invitation on the Le Tour Yorkshire website below – “..a symbolic bringing together of the entire county to herald the beginning of Yorkshire’s Grand Depart..”

http://letour.yorkshire.com/the-grand-d%C3%A9part-2014/tour-de-france-opening-ceremony

Ring a bell with us at your church, school, shop or on your bike.  And if you don’t have a bell you can get an app to shake your phone and ring a bell. eg.

http://www.appszoom.com/android_applications/handbell

So what do the press say? 🙂

Bell Ting Idea says @TheYorksTimes

http://yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/BellTing-Idea-For-Yorkshires-Opening-Ceremony

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/11287679.

Bells_to_ring_for_start_of_Tour_de_France/

And here they are on ITV!

http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/update/2014-06-18/bell-ringing-to-welcome-tour-de-france/

Please do join us to ring to welcome Le Tour.  Please share this exciting news as widely as you can.

This is a huge media event with global TV coverage.  We are privileged to have been invited to be part of it. 

http://letour.yorkshire.com/the-grand-depart-2014/tour-de-france-opening-ceremony

At 8.20pm the cameras will cut to Yorkshire bellringing. We are invited to ring from all our towers across the whole of Yorkshire.

With 52 practice nights that day anyway, we had a good start. Other bands are now rearranging their diaries to join us.

We will give a short coordinated burst of ringing from all towers at 8.20pm (this final time was confirmed on Monday 30 June).

I will share more info as it evolves here and on Facebook and Twitter @bellsandbikes and via the email group I use for Tower Briefings.

Please could you share this with everyone.

Please reply via Facebook or email rismay@virginmedia.com to confirm your involvement.

This is a wonderful chance to share Yorkshire bellringing with the world.

And it is for ALL towers in Yorkshire. Not just the race route. And for one bell, two bell and campanile towers.  [ but if you live elsewhere you’d be welcome to pile in too 🙂 ]

Our invitation is to get the county ringing. (and the world! York in Australia and New York in America will be ringing Yorkshire too!)

Please also visit www.yorkshire.com for more news about Le Tour, the Grand Depart and the Opening Ceremony.

Pop it in your diary now. Maybe a quarter or peal to precede it too? Over to you

Le Tour Opening Ceremony – find out more

The Yorkshire Grand Depart Opening Ceremony promises to be the grandest opening in the Tour’s history, with global rockstars, cycling heros, international media and church bellringing.  I mean could you ask for more.

Here are a few websites with more news about the Opening Ceremony to help you understand the scale and significance of it.  As bellringers it is a huge privilege for us to be able to play a part in supporting this massive event as we welcome Le Tour de France to Yorkshire.

http://letour.yorkshire.com/the-grand-depart-2014/tour-de-france-opening-ceremony

http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/update/2014-06-05/line-up-revealed-for-grand-departs-spectacular-opening-ceremony/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-27722110

http://www.firstdirectarena.com/venue-information/latest-news/article/four-weeks-to-the-yorkshire-grand-d-part-opening-ceremony-be-part-of-history/805/

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/tour-de-france-2014-embrace-7267249

Executive producer Martin Green, who was Head of Ceremonies at the London 2012 Olympics, said: “We’re breaking new ground here for the Tour de France with this ambitious show – it’s something much bigger and completely new to the cycling world.  With the theme of the event The People of Yorkshire Welcome the World, this will give the riders the entrance they deserve as the Yorkshire Grand Départ celebrations begin.”