The Association’s bell consultants give technical advice on bells and their fittings. Requests should be in writing with the authority of the PCC. The bell consultant’s out of pocket expenses are met by the Association’s Bell Repair Fund to which many PCCs with a ring of bells in the Diocese are affiliated by paying an annual donation. John McCartney and Mike Banks share the workload with Gordon Halls who is also Bell Adviser to the Diocesan Advisory Committee. Eric Davies is willing to give advice on fund raising for bell restoration. John Cater continues to lead parties of volunteers in doing restoration and general maintenance work on bell installations. Additional volunteers are needed for this work and will be made especially welcome. The services of a professionally qualified NICEIC electrical engineer are sought. Bell restoration activity is co-ordinated by a sub committee comprising the above people plus Brian Tomlinson, Bell Repair Fund Secretary.

The following items of interest occurred in 2001.

Ashover All Saints.The plans for a ringers’ gallery are still being worked on. Galebreaker and sound control shutters have been installed.

Bamford in the Peak St John the Baptist. The fifth bell, which was unsatisfactory and had to be recast, was installed.

Brackenfield Holy Trinity. The plan is to restore the three old bells, add three small bells and re-hang in a new metal frame. The work is being done by Hayward Mills. A certificate for the faculty was issued by the DAC. The Chancellor is hesitating to issue the faculty until English Heritage’s request to retain the old wooden frame has been answered satisfactorily.

Belper St Peter. The bells were declared unringable early in 2000 due to problems with the tower. Repairs to the tower were started in September and were completed to allow the bells to be rung again on Sunday December 16^th 2001.

Bonsall St James. The peal of 6 bells has been derelict for about 100 years. The bells, which are also poor toned, are presently sounded by an Ellacombe chiming apparatus, which is also in a poor state of repair. Advice was given on how to repair the Ellacombe and slow down the rate of decay. The PCC at Bonsall were encouraged to think about restoring the bells to full circle ringing. The Bell Consultants made presentations first to the PCC and then to the village explaining how the Association can help with such a project. The result of this is that the PCC voted, unanimously, to investigate further, full restoration.

Chesterfield All Saints. General overhaul of pulleys, clappers, bearings and wheels by Fred Pembleton was completed.

Church Gresley St George and St Mary. John Cater led a team of volunteers who spent over 1300 man-hours in restoring the bells and ringing chamber. Sound levels in the ringing chamber were initially excessive. Work by Mike Banks and Mike Willis has succeeded in getting the sound level down to the ideal.

Etwall St Helen. Hayward Mills drilled out the cast in crown staples in the three largest bells. They also altered the rope fall from two bells. Local ringers led by Jack Chadwick assisted.

Hartington St Giles. The project to replace the current derelict peal of three bells, one of which is cracked, seems to have lost momentum. We hope this is only temporary.

Kirk Hallam All Saints. Fred Pembleton fitted new bearing bedplates to stop the main bearings of the 3 bells shunting sideways when the bells were rung. Pulleys and clappers were overhauled. Access to the bells is still dangerously unsafe.

Monyash St Leonard. The three bells were fully restored to ringing condition by a working party led by John McCartney. The badly worn steps up to the clock chamber were repaired. The ringing room has been redecorated. Thoughts are being given to augmenting the bells to six.

Morley St Matthew. The Association purchased a bell from the Keltek Trust and donated it to Morley. It will be used to augment the peal from 3 to 4. A faculty has been issued. Eayre & Smith will do the work.

Newhall St John. All six bells were re-hung on ball bearings by John Taylor. Local ringers led by Steve Durow assisted in removing and refitting the headstocks and in transporting them to and from Taylors.

Norbury SS Mary and Barlok. A faculty has been granted for a scheme to strengthen the bell frame. David Davies, a local ringer, will do the work.

Ockbrook All Saints. Local ringers, led by Nick Daines, are working through the list of items identified in 2000 as deserving attention.

Pinxton St Helen.Several of the 8 items of maintenance found to deserve attention in 2000 remain to be done. During the coming year the tower will be re-pointed and re-roofed.

Pleasley St Michael. John McCartney led a team to carry out work to make the tower weather proof and to reduce the excessive sound levels in the ringing chamber. The first task therefore was to install Galebreaker sheet over all the louvres. The sound reducing modifications saw the rope chutes in the bell chamber converted them into attenuating boxes. Improving the doors to the bell chamber and ringing room also contributed. The excessive sound levels have been halved, but the bells are still noisier than the ideal.

Sandiacre St Giles.The chancellor has decided that the bells can be re-hung ahead of the tower being repaired. A faculty will now be issued for the work to be done by Fred Pembleton.

Scarcliffe. St Leonard. The three bells to augment this 5-bell peal to eight have been cast. The tower has been re-roofed and repaired. The louvres have been boarded up to the spring of the arch and Galebreaker sheet fitted above. The bell-frame has been sandblasted and repainted.

Stanton in Peak Holy Trinity. The project to replace this derelict peal of six bells, which are too big for the tower, received a welcome boost when the Association assisted by the PCC managed to acquire 4 small chime bells via the Keltek Trust. This has almost halved the cost of the project, which will be undertaken by Hayward Mills. The old bells are available, via the Keltek Trust, for use elsewhere in the Diocese until the end of 2002 after which they will be generally available.

Tissington St Mary.The interest in augmenting this three bell tower to five has not yet acquired momentum.

Inventory of bells for ringing in the Derby Diocese

Belper became ringable again. Norbury became unringable.

Out of a total of 835 bells 70 are unringable this is a decrease of 5 from last year. This shows that 14.2% of peals and 8.4% of bells are unringable.

Galebreaker is a strong plastic sheet with closely spaced tiny holes. Placed close up against the inside of the louvres, it stops the birds and rain getting in whilst still allowing ventilation. It readily transmits sound. John Cater has a large, 1.8 metre wide, role, which he is willing to sell on at the discounted price of £15.65 per metre.

Keltek Trust is a "sale & mart" for second hand and redundant bells. The DDA acquired 5 bells via the trust for two projects. We are keeping a watch out for bells for two other churches. If your church is interested in second hand bells to augment or replace poor existing bells let one of the bell consultants know.