Does This Ring A Bell?

Monday evening we had hoped to ring at Ottery St Mary. I had emailed the Tower Captain, but not received a reply - well it is summer and not everyone checks their emails every day.

I went online and asked about ringing in East Devon. Apparently there are over 400 towers in Devon and about 100 of these are in East Devon... I was given some contacts for the towers in Exmouth - as practices alternate between the ring of eight and the twelve. I hurriedly dashed off an email whilst cooking tea.
Did we really want to go back to Exmouth when we have spent the day there?
Did we really want to ring on twelve bells, especially if they were very good ringers...?

Meanwhile DH decided that he wanted to go to Tesco - despite the fact we visited Waitrose on our way home... It was also less than three miles away.
Exmouth could wait for another year.
"Not another supermarket!" sighed the KHT.

Having wandered around Tesco in Honiton we got in the car to go back to the campsite.
"Shall we go back via Ottery St Mary just in case they are ringing?" I suggested, "It is only a small detour and we haven't got anything that will spoil..."
DH approved of this plan, so off we set.
In Ottery St Mary we found a parking space ouside the church, which appeared to be in total darkness.
It was not looking promising.
On the off chance DH pushed the button to operate the automatic door opening.
To our amazement it swung slowly open.
This was like an episode of Scooby Dooby Doo!
Dare we enter?
Inside we could hear distant voices.
We stepped gingerly into the darkened building...
"Are you bellringers?" came a cheery voice from the glorious gloom.
"Yes", replied DH
"Excellent!" 

It was an evening when a few regulars were missing, so they were very pleased to see us.
Ottery St Mary is  a grand church and has been described as a mini Exeter Cathedral.
Unusually for a large church the bells are rung from the ground floor.
Built as a collegiate church, the Victorians gave it a significant make over.
Some of the Victorian tile decoration can be seen in the shot of DH ringing the tenor.















Meanwhile the KHT had a wonderful time exploring the church.
The ringers put lights on so she could explore the building, but she also enjoyed reading the books by torchlight!

As one of the ringers locked the door he told us that the ghost would now appear in the church.
"It was creepy enough entering the church through those automatic doors into the dark," I commented.

Wrong church

On Tuesday evening I had arranged for us to join the practice at Sidmouth.
"I know where the church is, we drive past it when we turn right on our way to the car park. There is plenty of space to park in the grounds..."
I reread the email
"Enter by the South door."
However, the South door was firmly locked,
so was the East and the West,
and all other doors.
Then I looked up.
No tower!
No steeple!
No spire!
No bells!!!
"This isnt the right church! Look it has no tower!"

DH looked up and had to agree that with no tower this was not the right church.
"Where is the right church?"
"I think it is nearer the sea.."
"I can hear bells," replied DH, "it can't be far away!"

Right church

Off we set, with windows wound down, trying to determine which direction the church was in.
We saw it as we passed it.
We then passed loads of no entry signs, as we travelled further and further from the tower.
We made our way back though narrow streets that earlier would have been filled with throngs of tourists.
No parking at the church.
We found a space close to the tennis courts.
The south door would be open until 7:45, after that we would have to find the doorbell and wait for someone to come down and let us in.
It was 7:43.
The KHT and I bailed out of the car and headed for the church,
arriving just before the door was locked.

In fairness to me, we had only ever driven past the first church and from the passanger seat you don't get much of a view of the roof. I had assumed that it was the same church that is visible from the sea front. I know differently now!

We had been invited to join the band at Axminster at 6:30pm on Wednesday evening for service ringing. We found the church with no problem, but when we went to enter the building those inisde were deep in prayer. It didn't feel right to disturb them.
We looked for a different door.
DH encountered a Vicar, who directed us to the vestry door. Inside members of the local congregation showed us the door to the spiral staircase.
We rang Devon style call changes on the front six of this glorious ring of ten.
We didn't stay for the service as we hadn't had tea, but the music sounded great!

As we left I could have sworn I got a glimpse of a green-brocade-cloaked member of the clergy wearing a mitre, but I 'might have' been mistaken...
Google tells me the Bishop of Credition was appointing a new Rural Dean, so I may have seen the Bishop. I will never know

Our next planned ringing is on Sunday morning, but this could change...