Church bells are set to ring out to mark Remembrance Sunday

Organisers have told of the plans for all the bells of Hartlepool to ring on Remembrance Sunday, November 13, which is the first time in several years.

Andrew Frost, a representative of the Hartlepool Guild of Bellringers, said the bells will be ‘half muffled’, a technique widely used in such circumstances.

He said: “This will be the first time for many years that all four towers will ring on the same day and half muffling the bells is widely used to remember the fallen.”

Bell ringers have been busy fixing the muffle which is leather and fits on one side of the clapper using straps. Then, when the bell rings, one note is loud and the other is quieter, or muffled.

Mr Frost said every one involved was “really proud to be ringing on Sunday and especially at St Oswald’s Church where, as The Mail reported earlier in the year, the bells have undergone a major repair and they are now much easier to ring.”

Hartlepool bell ringers can first be heard on Sunday when they will be ringing the ten bells at St Oswald’s Church between 9am and 9.30am.

The bells will then ring at Stranton Church and will be sounded between 9.45am and 10.30am.

The Art Gallery in Church Square, which was formerly known as Christ Church, will have its bells ring from 10am to 10.45am.

And finally, the bells of St Aidan’s will sound out on the evening.

Mr Frost added: “The bells of St Aidan’s will ring in the evening between 5.30pm and 6.30pm when a team hope to complete a quarter peal in which the bells are rung for over 45 minutes without stopping.

“Remembering those who died from Hartlepool in the First World War will continue into 2017 when the bells will be rung for at least one Hartlepool bell ringer on the centenary of his death. Towers throughout the North East have been ringing ever since 2014 on the centenaries of their own members who died in the First World War.

“Hartlepool Guild of Bellringers are pleased that they have been able to arrange to ring to remember all those who fell in the world wars and subsequent conflicts.

“We will remember them.”

Meanwhile, an annual tradition of supporting the Poppy Appeal is being backed once again by Rotary Club officials in Hartlepool.

The Rotary Club of Hartlepool has long been known for its support for the local co-ordinator of the Poppy Appeal, Sian Cameron.

Rotary officials help in the distribution and collection of poppies to 32 schools and colleges within the town.

The Rotary Club is also involved in the sale of poppies daily, and will have collectors at the main Asda store near the Marina.

Club members will be on duty at Asda on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week between 11.30am and 4pm for the sale of poppies and accessories, said spokesman Alan Lakey.