'I hope others take up dying art of bell-ringing'

A bell-ringer is hoping a challenge to ring all 245 bells in her area within one day will inspire others to take up the "dying art".

Bell-ringers, young and old, from across Somerset hope to ring the bells in all 44 towers of the Cary Branch of Bath & Wells Diocesan Association of Change Ringers later.

Susan Wales, 67, from Milborne Port, who started ringing when she was 10 and is taking part in the event to honour Bell Sunday, said she was excited to raise visibility of bell-ringing.

Bell Sunday is a national event that celebrates the contribution of bell-ringers to church life and the community.

It is held on the Sunday closest to St Dunstan's feast day (19 May), the patron saint of bell-ringers.

Wales said bell-ringing is a "peculiar" activity, where people are "heard and not seen".

"It is an important thing to carry on. We're a group of ageing members, and it's a dying art," she said.

"Hopefully, we inspire some more people to take it up."

Wales said she had made life-long friends and even met her late husband at a ringing group.

"When I was 10, my father said I could go bell-ringing but warned me that if I started bell-ringing, I wouldn't stop," she said.

"I've been doing it ever since. It's the community, friendships, and support we give one another - it's the camaraderie."

She said she hoped they would complete the challenge on Sunday.

Joe Wheller, the Bell Ringers of Bruton's tower captain who organised the challenge, said ringing is "definitely an unusual thing" and something he started as "a bit of a joke".

"I thought it would be a funny story I'd be able to tell down the pub, but I got hooked," he said.

"The bells ring to celebrate all that's good in the community. I like that aspect."

To celebrate Bell Sunday, he said he wanted to get out there and "make some noise" for it.

"It's a really special thing. We want to continue that tradition and make it relevant to people today, " he added.

The challenge takes place on Sunday from 09:00 BST, and the teams hope to finish at about 16:00 BST.

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