Chelmsford Borough Council Jubilee Community Fund grant application successful - 29 November 2002
We are delighted that we have been awarded a grant of £21,000 from the Chelmsford Borough Council Jubilee Community Fund. The grant is for the new tenor bell, which will be suitably inscribed to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. the grant now means that we have achieved our target of £130,000. A tremendous achievement: many thanks to everyone for their support. 

Auction of Promises postponed - 1 October 2002
The Auction of Promises that we had planned for 23 November has been postponed. We are now planning to hold the event next year.

Appeal Launch Update - 1 October 2002
Click here to read Appeal Update - October 2002

Quiz Night a success - 28 September 2002
Over 130 people enjoyed a highly successful Quiz Night at the Village Hall where we raised £920 towards the bell appeal.  The Quiz completes our event programme for 2002.  Watch this space for news about events in 2003.

Appeal Launch Update - 1 August 2002
Click here to read Appeal Update - August 2002

Barn Dance a great success - 13 July 2002
Around 160 people danced and jigged to the Old Court Ceilidh Band, raising about £1,200 for the Bell Appeal. 

Buy a kilogram of bell metal for £10
The Fundraising Committee have come up with a novel way to raise funds for the Eleventh bell.  The Eleventh Bell weighs in the region of 11,300 kilograms.  If 1,130 people donate £10 to buy a kilogram of bell metal then we shall have our bell.  Anyone can donate £10, which together with Gift Aid (where possible), will go towards the bell. The names of donors will appear on a plaque to formally record their donation. A grid has drawn on a bell and donors select any letter between A and Z and any number between 1 and 43, for example you pay £10 and select G32. That then becomes your square and no-one else can buy it. Since launching the idea on 1 June, we have sold 54 kilograms of bell metal. Click here for more details.   

Teddy Bear Aerial Runway - 3 June 2002 
Teddy's came from all over the village and beyond to take part in the successful aerial runway from the top of the church tower to a distant tree in the churchyard.  Proceeds from the event raised over £383 towards the bell appeal. 

Tower Open Day - 2 June 2002 
Over 200 people visited the top of the tower and viewed the Jubilee celebrations on the Green.  Proceeds from the open day and tombola on the Green raised over £390 towards the bell appeal. 

Appeal Launch Update - 1 June 2002
Click here to read Appeal Update - June 2002

SE District Open Day - 4 May 2002
About 80 people supported the Open Day and in doing so, raised about £800 for the Appeal. With Gift Aid and less expenses, the final sum should be about £950.  All 31 ringable towers in the District were open. Our grateful thanks go to all the towers and incumbents, the stewards and helpers and all those who came from all over the country to ring.    

Police Band Concert raises over £870 for the Appeal - 27 April 2002
Almost 200 people packed into Writtle Church on Saturday evening for a concert by the Essex Police Band.  The concert raised over £875 for the Appeal.  Some Gift Aid can be added bringing the total to over £930.

Appeal Launch Update - April 2002
Click here to read Appeal Update - April 2002

Handbell Ringers Concert raises £300 - 17 March 2002
A concert by the Writtle Handbell Ringers raised just over £300 for the bell appeal

Village Update - Feb 2002
Click here to read the Village Update for February 2002 (Word format)

Appeal Launch Update - January 2002
Click here to read Appeal Update - January 2002

Appeal Launch Update - 1 December 2001
Click here to read Appeal Update - December 2001

Essex Association give grant of £12,800 to the Bell Appeal - 13 October 2001
At the October Executive Committee meeting, held at Danbury on Saturday 13 October, the Committee considered a grant application from Writtle and agreed to grant £12,800 for the 8th bell of the new 10.

Two more sponsors come forward - 2 October 2001
Following on from the success of the Quiz Night, two donors have come forward to sponsor the 8th and 9th bells

Appeal Launch Update - 1 October 2001
Click here to read Appeal Update - October 2001

Quiz Night a great success - 29 September 2001
The Quiz Night held at the Christian Centre was a tremendous success, raising over £1,400 for the Bell Appeal.  25 tables and over 180 people enjoyed the evening and the chilli supper.  The winners took the prize of wine and the losers took, quite literally, the wooden spoons.

Quiz Night sold out! - 22 September 2001
Please note that all tickets for the Quiz Night on 29 September have been sold.  Please accept our apologies if you are unable to obtain tickets.  We hope to run another Quiz Night next year.  Our apologies to anyone who was unable to buy tickets this time around. 

Quiz Night Tickets
Tickets for the Quiz Night on Saturday 29 September are now on sale.  The recommended minimum donation is £7 per person, including a hot supper.  Tables of 6 or 8 persons.  The evening starts at 7.45pm for 8.00pm and ends at about 11.15pm.

Coffee Morning - 1 September 2001
The Coffee Morning held on Saturday 1 September raised over £300 towards the Bell Appeal.

Appeal Launch Update - 1 August 2001
Click here to read Appeal Update - August 2001. 

Images of Barn Dance - 21 July 2001
The images of the Barn Dance can be found here.

Barn Dance a great success - 14 July 2001
The Barn Dance held at the Tithe Barn on the Writtle College estate on Saturday 14 July was a great success, raising about £1,200 for the Bell Appeal. Over 160 people danced, jigged and stripped the willow to the Old Court Ceilidh Band. The barn, which was built in the 15th century and is one of the finest examples of traditional Essex weatherboarded barns is some 35 metres long, 11 metres wide and 12 metres high, and proved a very fitting venue for such an occasion.

More images of Teddy Bear Parachuting - 10 June 2001
More images of the teddy bear parachuting have been posted here.  As noted below, one Teddy - 'Pinky Bear' - was found the following day in Motts garden.  I am please to report that he has now been reunited with his owner.

Appeal Launch Update - 1 June 2001
Click here to read Appeal Update - June 2001. 

Teddy's Galore - 29 May 2001
What a fantastic turn out! Teddy bears arrived thick and fast and despite some apprehension they all managed to complete the jump. Indeed, some enjoyed it so much they kept coming back for more! Some had the slight embarrassment of being lodged in a tree for a while, but our expertly trained rescue crew soon brought them safely down. One Teddy - 'Pinky Bear' - was found the following day in Motts garden. Please get in touch if he is your bear, in the mean time we will look after him. 

If your Teddy didn't receive a certificate on the day then please get in touch and we will issue him with one. During the afternoon 330 Teddy jumps took place. This, together with the sponsorship raised by some of the more enterprising Teddies (Red Ted £250, Ivan The Terrible £120 and many more), raised £785. Add this to the balloon launch, the cake stall, the Tower tours and the £50 raised by 8 year old Camilla Brisley on her Table-Top sale, makes the total raised during the week to just under £2,000. Many thanks to all that helped in any way. It has been a wonderful week, culminating in an afternoon that was full of good humour.

Appeal Launch Update - 1 April 2001
Pledges to sponsor seven of the twelve bells have now been received.  This, together with some other very generous donations, brings the total raised so far to just over £40,000.  We still have a long way to go, but what a brilliant start!

Sponsors. It would be marvellous if the remaining five bells could be sponsored. Bells are an excellent way of providing a memorial to a loved one, or commemorating a particular event. They are, of course, very expensive, and it is appreciated that many people who would like to sponsor a bell may not be able to do so. Joint sponsorship, as a way of reducing the cost to the individual, is a possibility that people may wish to consider. Another possibility is to consider sponsoring the component parts of a bell mechanism i.e. the headstock, clapper or wheel. Please contact any of those named below if you would like to have a chat about sponsorship possibilities.

Records. All donations received for this project will be recorded in a book, which will be kept in the church. Those who sponsor bells will be able to choose an inscription to be cast on the bell and the names of those in memoriam will be included on a plaque to be situated in the church.

Appeal Launch a great success - 5 March 2001
The launch of the Writtle All Saints Bell Appeal, held on Sunday 4 March, was a tremendous success. Over 170 people attended the launch and viewed the exhibition, a demonstration of method ringing on handbells, had a go on the Essex Association demonstration bell, and listened to a presentation by the Tower Captain, Phil Stephens. On the day we received donations of just over £2,400. In the few weeks leading up to the launch sponsors for five bells had been pledged and another was received on the day.  Many thanks to all for such a marvellous start to this project.   

The proposed balloon launch had to be postponed due to the Foot and Mouth outbreak.  It is hoped it will now take place on Monday 28 May to coincide with the Teddy Bear Parachuting from the tower.  

Date of Bell Appeal Launch Reception announced - 4 January 2001 
The official date for the Launch Reception of the Writtle Bell Appeal will take place on Sunday 4 March at 12 o'clock in the Christian Centre, after morning service.  There will be a presentation, an exhibition, a demonstration of method ringing on handbells and a balloon launch.  Light refreshments will be available.  Other events for 2001 include a tower open days from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 May, Teddy Bear Parachuting from the tower on Bank Holiday Monday 28 May, a Barn Dance in the Tithe Barn at Writtle College on Saturday 14 July, and a Quiz Night on Saturday 29 September. 

Plans for fundraising begin in earnest - 7 December 2000 
Plans for the launch of the fundraising for the augmentation have begun.  It is proposed to have an official launch in early March 2001.  Further fundraising events, such as a Ceilidh, quiz night, tower open days which will include parachuting teddy bears from the tower roof, are being planned throughout the year.  

Proposal to augment the bells - 1 December 2000 
Discussions are currently taking place between the ringers and interested parties about how best to begin the fundraising necessary for the proposed augmentation.  We are also actively considering the date and type of event at which to officially launch the Bell Appeal.

PCC agree to feasibility report amendment to the proposal for augmentation - 29 November 2000 
At the meeting of the Parochial Church Council on Wednesday 29 November 2000, an amendment to the feasibility report was presented for twelve bells in a twelve bell frame, rather than the ten agreed at the PCC meeting in September.  The argument in favour of twelve bells by adding two smaller semi-tone bells, is to provide a light eight in a true diatonic scale that will greatly help in teaching eight bell methods and in teaching learners. The ringers are now discussing the detailed specification with a view to placing a formal contract.   

Appeal Committee formed - 5 November 2000
A meeting was held after morning Service in the Christian Centre to discuss fundraising for the augmentation. A small steering committee was formed of Phil Stephens, Andrew Brewster, Roger Bailey and David Simms, and Marion Brewster and Christina Fleckney as Treasurers of the Appeal.

PCC agree feasibility report for augmentation and give go ahead to start fund raising - 21 September 2000
The Parochial Church Council met on Thursday 21 September 2000.  On the agenda was a feasibility report prepared by the bellringers summarising the findings of the technical experts, discussing the quotations and making a number of recommendations.  After much discussion, the report was voted on and agreed to.  We now have permission to progress the augmentation project and to start fund raising. 

Eayre and Smith visit Writtle - 28 June 2000
Bob Smith of Eayre and Smith visits the Tower.

CCCBR and Taylor's visit Writtle - 23 June 2000
Visit by Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, Belfries and Towers Committee, and representatives from John Taylor and Co, Loughborough visit the Tower

Whitechapel visit Writtle - 23 May 2000
Representatives of Whitechapel bell Foundry visit Writtle

Meetings sought - 27 March 2000
Phil Stephens contacted Simon Marks, Church Architect, David Sloman, Diocesan Honorary Technical Adviser, and Adrian Dempster, Chairman, Towers and Belfries Committee, Central Council of Church Bell Ringers

General announcement made about the augmentation project - 26 March 2000
At Sunday Service ringing, Phil Stephens, Tower Captain made a general announcement about the project

PCC approve proposal - 23 March 2000
At its meeting on 23 March, the Parochial Church Council (PCC) gave their unanimous support and approval for the project to proceed to the next stage.  We have had meetings with the Honorary Diocesan Technical Adviser, structural engineers, and the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers and have received formal estimates, based on the above specification, for the work. A milestone in the life of All Saints, Writtle!

Proposal to augment the bells submitted to the PCC - 1 March 2000
A summary of the proposal 
The present ring of eight bells have been ringing out over Writtle for almost 200 years.  They were installed in the Tower in 1811 and since then, some of them have been recast for various reasons, and they have been hung on ball bearings, but essentially they are unaltered.

As church bells go, they are not beautifully in tune and they are quite difficult to ring.  The reason for the difficulty is threefold; (i) they are supported in an old wooden frame which moves about whilst the bells are swinging, (ii) they are located high in the Tower and (iii) the fixtures and fittings are showing signs of wear.

The proposal comprises three key aspects: a new steel frame, a new set of bells and a sound control system.

• A new steel frame will be installed below the existing frame i.e. lower in the tower, beneath the sound louvres, to give a more balanced sound outside.

• We propose that the bells be recast, together with some new bell-metal, to make a ring of ten bells with the Tenor weighing in the region of 30cwt. The exact key and weight will be determined in discussion with the bell foundry and the structural engineer. Such a ring of ten bells will provide a far richer more mellow sound than the existing eight and it will provide us with more scope to accommodate the wide range of ringing skills available.

• More and more these days, churches are fitting sound control systems to enable the volume of the bells to be cut down during practice sessions, or for secular ringing activities such as visiting bands or peal ringing. We propose to install such a system and to investigate the installation of a Sound Lantern to provide a more uniform, all-round, sound.

Sub-Committee meets for the first time - 6 February 2000
Meeting of sub-committee to discuss augmentation proposal. attended by Phil Stephens, Andrew Brewster, Peter Fleckney, Christopher Newton, C James Hustler

Members of Writtle Tower give their unanimous support for augmentation project - 25 January 2000
At the Tower AGM on 21 January, members of the Tower unanimously agreed to augment the bells to ten.