Weird and wonderful bell towers (2 of 2)

Following on from last month’s edition, podcast host Cathy Booth reveals another dodgy dozen or so weird and wonderful towers. WARNING - this podcast contains details of hair-raising ringing environments, definitely not for the nervous ringers amongst you! Enjoy another litany of trapdoors, spiral staircases, beam scrambling, comedy pulleys and 17th-century ladders.We now have a whole new list of things to watch out for – bizarre ringing circles, ropes arranged around the organist, and, erm, falling concrete!  And as lovely as weddings are, Cathy discovers these can be the source of much distraction. Please do be careful not to lasso a bridesmaid!Lastly, and most importantly, always be EXTREMELY cautious if you accept an invitation to ring a quarter peal at a church whose bells are described as “rung from cage above chancel crossing”.Featured towers:St Mary Magdalene, Cottingham, NorthamptonshireSimon Head read to us about CottinghamFor more information see : http://cottinghamhistory.co.uk/Churches%20-%20St%20Mary.htmSt George’s, Great BromleyDavid Sparling reads to us about Great BromleyFor more information see https://www.greatbromley.org.uk/st-georges-church-great-bromley?fbclid=IwAR0QwFFqHiL_J0jwQSXXcM04_0qRAk5MDHHnWlCb3y0KlapdjK4hr0F7q3IPershore AbbeyPershore Abbey where ringers ring from the square platform that you can see suspended in the top centre of this photoStuart Piper told us about Pershore AbbeyFor more information seehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN0AyqSl9gIhttp://www.merrix.eu/BellRinging/towers/worcs/Pershore-Abbey.htmhttp://www.archive.pershoreabbey.org.uk/bells.htmlSt Peter, Great LivermereNeil Dodge read to us about the tower at Great LivermereFor more information about this church see http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/gliver.htmCrowland AbbeyAlison Davies read to us about Crowland AbbeyFor more information see:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8DHfZ5y2oohttps://meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/history-blog/bells-of-croyland-abbey-in-lincolnshirehttps://ldgcb.org.uk/news/news2014/crowland_radio4.phpInveraraySteve Johnson read a story recalled by Roy Le Marechal about a failed quarter peal attempt at Inverary.St Wilfrid’s church, Hickleton, DerbyshireSt Wilfred’s church, Hickleton : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Wilfrid%27s_Church,_HickletonSeveral London towersSteve Johnson read a report from Steve Jakeman about towers he has come across in his role as Bell restoration officer for the Middlesex County Association.St. Michael And All Angels, SkelbrookeHelen Nichols read to us about Hickleton and ShellbrookeSponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.orgPodcast team:Anne Tansley ThomasEmily Roderick John GwynneEmily WattsCathy BoothRinging by:The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org