St. Michael’s has a ring of 10 bells, installed during 2021 to replace the old three medieval ones and first fully rung on St. Michael’s Day, 29th September, Michaelmas. See our Belltower page for more details.
Michaelmas, one of the England’s “quarter days”, falls near the equinox and is associated with the beginning of autumn and the shortening of days. It used to be said that harvest had to be completed by Michaelmas, marking the end of the productive season and the beginning of the new cycle of farming. Ring Out the old and Ring In the new! It was the time at which new servants were hired or land was exchanged and debts were paid. It is Harvest Festival that is celebrated now.
Sometimes the day was also known as “Goose Day” and goose fairs were held. A well fattened goose, fed on the stubble from the fields after the harvest, was eaten to protect against financial need in the family for the next year; and as the saying goes:
Eat a goose on Michaelmas Day,
Want not for money all the year
Giving a Michaelmas Daisy symbolises saying farewell, perhaps in the same way as Michaelmas Day is seen to say farewell to the productive year and welcome to the new.
A full peal was rung after the service on Sunday 9th January 2022 to mark Rev’d Canon Paul Scott’s retirement as Vicar.
The Peal Board was created and donated by third generation woodcarver Andrew Beckwith and is indeed a work of art. We congratulate Andrew and offer him our most grateful thanks.
Bellringing sessions are settling into a regular Wednesday evening practice, with extra sessions for learners arranged as needed.
There are plans for 2022 to have Sunday evensong ringing on the first Sunday of the month as a regular thing, for the deanery service.
It can be arranged for the church bells to be rung to celebrate a wedding, Contact Us by email or speak to our Churchwardens (see our Contact Us page).
During the Durham & Newcastle DA (DandN) 10 and 12 bell quarter peal weekend Friday 21st to Sun 23rd January 2022, the St. Michael’s bells were rung on Friday 21st at 6, 7 and 8pm.
Saturday, 7th May 2022 4:30pm Northern District Bell Ringers Annual Meeting in church
If you would lile to know more about bells and bellringing, you may like to look at the https://www.bellringing.org/changeringing/ web site.
