1988 - The Church 6th Bell
A new treble bell weighing five and a quarter hundredweight was installed in 1988 and rung for the first time by C William Brown, better known as Bill. Bill Brown was taught bell ringing by his father in 1911 when he was 10 years old and he continued ringing until old age. He was captain of the Spratton bell-ringers and also master of the Guilsborough Branch of the Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers. The sixth bell was cast by Eijsbouts of Holland and installed by Eayre and Smith Ltd. of Melbourne, Derby. It cost nearly £4,000 and was paid for by generous donations. The largest of these was given in memory of another Spratton bell ringer, Harry Bannister, who died in 1959 aged 79 years. Another significant donor was Cara Harriman. The new bell was designed with the help of a computer analysis of the tones of the old bells.
The inscription round the crown reads:
"Eijsbouts Astensis Me Fecit Anno MCMLXXXVIII"
On one side is inscribed:-R.I.P. HARRY BANNISTER,1880 - 1959; BRIAN LEE Vicar; HUMPHREY H. BENNETT, B JOAN SAVAGE Wardens
On the other side:- Bellringers C WILLIAM BROWN, KIRSTY A GASCOIN, JOHN SPENCER (CAPT), PAMELA M SPENCER, DAVID J SPENCER, MJ "BILL" BLOWFIELD, TANIA BLOWFIELD, STEPHEN M JONES
Image Reference: 0624
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