Bellringers of St Cuthberts Church, Benfieldside
Bellringing is a traditional English pursuit and the sound of church bells is deeply rooted in English culture. The bellringing team at St Cuthbert's Church, Benfieldside have to fit into one of the smallest bellringing chambers in the area but they have managed it for over 150 years.
The current team is led by Tower Captain Sonia Thompson and are a group of enthusiasts who meet every Thursday at 7.30 for practice and then on Sundays at 10.00 before the service. A peal of bells is a period of ringing that is determined by a very precise and mathematical sequence of changes all of which have to be memorised and called out by one of the ringers. The largest bell at St Cuthberts is huge, about the weight of a small car, but a few pulls on the rope gets it swinging and then pealing. Our photographer had a most fascinating morning there.