By Margaret Crosby

Published at 11:09, Thursday, 31 May 2012

VETERAN bellringer Jack McTear will help ring a Diamond Jubilee quarter-peal at St James Church on Sunday, 60 years after having rung for the Queen’s Coronation.

years of experience: Bellringer Jack McTear

Jack, now 76, was just a lad of 16 when in June 1953 he was one of a team of ringers who rang a quarter peal at St Michael’s Church, Workington. (St James’ didn’t have bells at that time.)

He recalls: “A television set had been brought into the church hall so we could all watch the Coronation. I had never seen a television set before. We rang the quarter peel while the ceremony was going on, during intervals.

“Then, about a week later I was at St Mary’s and St Michael’s Church, Egremont to ring a full peal, also in honour of the Coronation.’’

Jack has celebrated numerous royal occasions since by bellringing. This time the Whitehaven bells will ring from 3-4pm, prior to an open-air Songs of Praise service in St Nicholas’ Gardens.

Jack, who lives at Hillcrest, Whitehaven, has now stood down as Tower Captain of St James’ bell tower after 33 years. He has handed the ropes over to Richard Last.

Bells will be rung across the county, country and world for the Diamond Jubilee.

Although there are only a few churches in the county – 25 in north and West Cumbria – that have a set of bells hung for change ringing, most will be rung over the Jubilee weekend.

The River Pageant in London will be led by a barge with a ring of eight bells on it and all churches along the route will be ringing their bells so it was suggested that all over the country bells should ring around 3pm as the Queen sets off along the Thames. Some local belfries will be doing this, including Aspatria, St Bees, Workington and Whitehaven.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk