If you heard the bells ringing at St Nicolas or St Helen’s in Abingdon today, it wasn’t for an early VE Day celebration. It was part of the Oxford Diocesan Bell Fund (ODBF) Ringing Day.

Bell ringers were visiting up to 26 towers across the old North Berks area, trying out the different bells. The teams were put together randomly, so as one experienced ringer told me, “It sounds rubbish!”

Each ringer paid £2 per tower (or £20 for a full day pass), and all the money goes towards maintaining and improving bells in the area.

I took a short video at St Nicolas. You can judge if the ringing is rubbish or not.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qGctQIkahoI

The proper bell ringers will be there on Thursday 8th May from 6:30 pm for the VE Day commemoration.