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| Fring The bell at the village's All Saints' church has been silent for nearly 60 years, but a £1,000 project to restore it means the bell is once again ringing. Director at All Saints', the Rev David Grundy, said: "The purpose of the church bell has always been to call people to worship, and restoring it is a sign that the church in Fring is both welcoming and alive." The quest to restore the 14th century bell began at a parish council meeting in 1998, when members were deciding a project for the millennium. A study of the bell showed the mechanism was not working, the frame required treatment and the belfry windows, netting and slats needed replacing. In an effort to gain funding, churchwarden Mr. Gary Thomas wrote to Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Norfolk Churches' Trust, |
but was told it could take months before any money was available. He finally struck lucky with Norfolk Environmental Waste Services. The company donates £2 to the local community for every ton of rubbish it receives at the Docking rubbish tip.
NEWS agreed to give £1,000 to the scheme, and Mr. Thomas expressed his gratitude for the help. Mr. Tony Baines, a specialist church restorer from Diss, began work in April 1999. The results were first heard on Thursday August 12, when a special concert organised by Mrs Marian Cartwright took place in the church. The Bishop of Lynn, the Rt Rev Tony Foottit, blessed the bell. The framework of the church bell at All Saints' Church, Fring, is returned following restoration: (from left) Alison Sayer, Tony Baines, Paul Green, Betty Baines, the Rev David Grundy, Hertbert Karrach, Molly Karrach, Gary Thomas and Christine Sprule. Photo: EDP |
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