Church bells at 4am!?
Discussion
Assuming that at least 5 bells were being rung, which is kind of the minimum for your average change ringing, then that means I suspect you had yourself 5+ pissed campanologists who thought they'd have a laugh. Most ringers like to keep the locals onside. The four rings at the end might have signified the hour but may also be if someone was having trouble getting the bell to "stand" - i.e. propped against it's stay in the upright position.
I'd mention it in passing to the church master of bells, their number is usually in the parish mag (might be polite to wait until the morning...) - if they were involved then they'd know they'd annoyed their neighbours and if they weren't they would find out who did.
ETA - I'm assuming proper ringing as opposed to just a racket. The chances of someone random breaking in and ringing them properly is remote. The heaviest of the bells (tenor) is usually in the region of 1 ton and making a mistake with that gets you winched up through the ceiling.
I'd mention it in passing to the church master of bells, their number is usually in the parish mag (might be polite to wait until the morning...) - if they were involved then they'd know they'd annoyed their neighbours and if they weren't they would find out who did.
ETA - I'm assuming proper ringing as opposed to just a racket. The chances of someone random breaking in and ringing them properly is remote. The heaviest of the bells (tenor) is usually in the region of 1 ton and making a mistake with that gets you winched up through the ceiling.
Edited by FamilyGuy on Tuesday 23 March 05:22
Pah - I live well within earshot of my village church and that strikes every 15 minutes no matter the time of day - 2 bongs for quarter past, 4 for half past, 6 for quarter to and 8 for on the hour - followed by a deeper bong which corresponds to the top of the hour.
I quite like it, it's a part of village life.
Not so great on those insomnia nights where it feels like the bells are taunting me....
I quite like it, it's a part of village life.
Not so great on those insomnia nights where it feels like the bells are taunting me....
V8mate said:
DJFish said:
Doesn't it mean the Germans are invading?
Anyway, shouldn't churches have gone digital with their clocks and bells by now?
That way they could program the 4 chimes each hour to only run from 6am to 11pm.
The 4 dongs suggests all you got was the hourly chime, 4 quarters then the 4 hourly chimes. I suspect it does that all the time and you are asleep. Our local church does it but I don't notice it anymore, although I lived next to a church some years ago and used to get royally hacked off when I was on shifts and they did the whole 'lets practice for 2 hours doing tuneless donging' thing. Then I did choopse to live near a church, where one might expect bells.
Our church clock loses time, about 15 minutes a day, so you can't even depend on the chimes to tell you how much sleep you are losing.
Our church clock loses time, about 15 minutes a day, so you can't even depend on the chimes to tell you how much sleep you are losing.
fathomfive said:
V8mate said:
DJFish said:
Doesn't it mean the Germans are invading?
Anyway, shouldn't churches have gone digital with their clocks and bells by now?
That way they could program the 4 chimes each hour to only run from 6am to 11pm.
Four Cofffee said:
The 4 dongs suggests all you got was the hourly chime, 4 quarters then the 4 hourly chimes. I suspect it does that all the time and you are asleep. Our local church does it but I don't notice it anymore, although I lived next to a church some years ago and used to get royally hacked off when I was on shifts and they did the whole 'lets practice for 2 hours doing tuneless donging' thing. Then I did choopse to live near a church, where one might expect bells.
Our church clock loses time, about 15 minutes a day, so you can't even depend on the chimes to tell you how much sleep you are losing.
So the Bell Ringers have to go to the church hourly throughout the whole night just to ring the bells? Our church clock loses time, about 15 minutes a day, so you can't even depend on the chimes to tell you how much sleep you are losing.
james_tigerwoods said:
Pah - I live well within earshot of my village church and that strikes every 15 minutes no matter the time of day - 2 bongs for quarter past, 4 for half past, 6 for quarter to and 8 for on the hour - followed by a deeper bong which corresponds to the top of the hour.
I quite like it, it's a part of village life.
.
I envy that. I love the sound of village church bells doing thatI quite like it, it's a part of village life.
.
blindswelledrat said:
james_tigerwoods said:
Pah - I live well within earshot of my village church and that strikes every 15 minutes no matter the time of day - 2 bongs for quarter past, 4 for half past, 6 for quarter to and 8 for on the hour - followed by a deeper bong which corresponds to the top of the hour.
I quite like it, it's a part of village life.
.
I envy that. I love the sound of village church bells doing thatI quite like it, it's a part of village life.
.
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