Tadley man helps to restore Mortimer bells

Ringing out across village after months of silence

A TADLEY man has helped restore Mortimer church bells, which are now ringing out across the village after months of silence.

AWE apprentices Kieran Monger, aged 20, from Tadley, and Thomas Dowson, aged 28, from Basingstoke, have helped to turn and repair the six bells at the top of the 100-foot bell tower at St John’s Church in the village.

Last year it was discovered that the 120-year-old church bells were in need of urgent repair.

After an appeal from the community, AWE donated the time of the two apprentices to help professional bell hanger Whites of Appleton and local ringers carry out repairs to the timber bell frame and overhaul some of the ringing fittings.

After almost three months of restorative work, the bells were finally sounded at a church service on Sunday, July 31.

Thanking AWE and the apprentices for their support, Andrew Slater, the steeple keeper at St John’s Church, said: “With any luck the bells will now ring out for the next 120 years without major maintenance.”

Applications for AWE’s 2016 apprenticeship intake will be open from autumn.

For more information on the scheme, visit www.awe.co.uk