Birthday celebrations started with a quarter peal of Allendale, rang to celebrate the birthday of David Matthew on Friday 4 December 2009.
A local farmer (Tom), who learnt to ring in his younger days, celebrated his 60^th birthday on the same day, and many of his friends and family were gathered in the local village hall.  Tom thought that the quarter peal was being rung especially for him!
More to the point, birthday number three, and the most important, was the 50^th birthday of the treble bell in St James’ church.  Bell ringing celebrations began with a quarter peal, 1260 Grandsire Doubles on Saturday morning 5 December, then ringing for Sunday morning service.  The ringing concluded on Sunday evening with a quarter peal of Cambridge Surprise Minor, which was rung by all residents of the Parish of Tytherington.
After the morning service over twenty ringers, family and friends, gathered at The Ship at Alveston for a celebratory, festive drinks and lunch.
The first ( that we know of) bells in the tower were cast by Roger Purdue I, of Bristol in 1617, which are now the 3^rd and 4^th of the present ring, and both are still in their original state.  A third bell was cast, again by Roger Purdue I in 1626, which for reasons unknown, was re-cast in 1884 by Llewellyn James of Bristol.  A fourth bell was added in 1669 – this was cast by Roger Purdue II in 1669.  This has also been re-cast, due to a crack, by Llewellyn James in 1884.  A new tenor bell was added in 1790, by John Rudhall of Gloucester.  These bells are still hung in a wooden frame, and hung in wooden headstocks, and have not been tuned since.
The new treble bell and frame was supplied and installed by Taylors of Loughborough in 1959.  The bell is 25.5 inches in diameter, and weighs approximately 3.5 cwt.  The cost of the bell and frame was £250, and to raise funds the ringers of the 50’s and 60’s went ringing Christmas carols on hand bells in local pubs around Thornbury and houses in the village, raising about £10 a year.   This never kept up with inflation, and fortunately, a local benefactor very kindly donated monies to make up the shortfall.
                                                                                                   

 

The new treble bell and frame was supplied and installed by Taylors of Loughborough in 1959.  The bell is 25.5 inches in diameter, and weighs approximately 3.5 cwt.  The cost of the bell and frame was £250, and to raise funds the ringers of the 50’s and 60’s went ringing Christmas carols on hand bells in local pubs around Thornbury and houses in the village, raising about £10 a year.   This never kept up with inflation, and fortunately, a local benefactor very kindly donated monies to make up the shortfall.
Since the additional bell, there have been 21 peals rung, of which the bulk was rung in the 60’s and 70’s, mainly by visiting bands, ranging from doubles methods to surprise minor.  There have been 3 peals involving local ringers, and I have rung two of these. Quarter peals were far more numerous, totalling approximately 84.  Again these were rung mainly by outside ringers in the early years. However, the first to be rung by local ringers was 1260 Grandsire doubles, 7 August 1966, rang by Steve Heaven treble, Andrew Williams 2^nd, Bob Williams 3^rd, Brian Travell 4^th, Harold Blacker 5^th and conductor, who previously lived in the parish, tenor rung by Edward Travell.   But more quarters in the latter years have been rung by Tytherington ringers, ranging from doubles, mainly Grandsire to the odd quarter of surprise.  Our best ringing period has been the last few years with David Matthews conducting and guiding ringers to successful results.
This extra bell doesn’t really match the other old bells, but has still been worth the £250.

Details of Allendale and Cambridge quarter peals have already been published in the Ringing World, however, details of the Grandsire Doubles are as follows:-

Treble – Val Johnson                                           2 – Fran Christiansen

3 - Arch Andrews                                               4 – Andrew Williams

5 - Matthew Johnson (first as conductor)              Tenor – Philip Coward