'Bell claims do not ring true' say readers (From Your Local Guardian)

'Bell claims do not ring true' say Epsom Guardian readers

7:30am Friday 24th August 2012 in Top Stories By Jamie Henderson

The Epsom bell-ringing community has responded with vigour after a reader questioned why no bells had peeled on the opening day of the Olympic Games.

Two weeks ago an anonymous reader wrote to the Epsom Guardian complaining about the lack of ringing from their nearest church.

However their claims did not ring true.

The letter read: “I listened with anticipation at 8.12am on July 27 for peels of bells but nothing.

“What happened? Do we not have any churches in this area that could have put on some kind of show?”

Our newsdesk was inundated with hilarious responses from residents who chimed in with tales of an abundance of bell-based sounds.

Margaret Bale, tower secretary at St Martin’s Church, said: “I was sorry to read that an Epsom resident was disappointed not to hear any church bells ringing at 8.12am on the opening day of the Olympics.

“If they had been near St Martin of Tours’ Church, in Church Street, they would certainly have heard them.

“The ringers invited the public to join them in chiming the bells at this time [the event was advertised in the Ebbisham Centre] and quite a few people turned up, so that ringing continued for half an hour.

Daphne Anspach, from Epsom Common, said: “In reply to last week’s letter ‘Where did all the bells go?’ they were certainly ringing at Christ Church, Epsom Common.”

Lynn Hedges, from West Ewell, said: “It’s a shame your correspondent wasn’t in West Ewell to hear the bells ring.

“All Saints Church, West Ewell, did the parish proud.

“Peter, Anne, Bill and Lynn kept a smooth transition from one to another and a lady walking her dog past the church came in to join the celebration.”