Business News
Sir Adrian (left) at Whitechapel Foundary watching the bell being tuned
Henrietta (left) with the BCI Bell, in its permanent residence in the bell tower at St Martin’s
Exchanges between Sir Adrian
Cadbury, president of the Chamber at the time, and Roderick discussing the bell dated back to 1989. In the letters, it was established
that Cadburys and Birmingham Chamber of Commerce were to jointly sponsor the bell, and it was to be inscribed to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Chamber and Sir Adrian Cadbury’s presidency in 1988. Sir Adrian was not able to attend
the casting of bell number eight because he was on a trip to India, but did attend the tuning of the bell at the now defunct Whitechapel Foundary in London where the BCI Bell and all the other bells were cast and tuned. The peal of 16 bells hung for change-ringing was at the time the first of its kind in England, with 12 being the usual maximum number of bells. Henrietta said: “It was an
absolute joy to see the Chamber bell in person, up in the bell tower of the iconic St Martin’s. “Richard was extremely
knowledgeable about the BCI Bell and all the other bells in the church,
their history and the history of bell ringing in St Martin’s. I feel incredibly privileged to see and touch this wonderful piece of Chamber history. The Chamber has always been a huge supporter of the city’s historical institutions, and this bell is just one example of how the Chamber is woven in the city’s history.” David said: “It was absolutely
fascinating listening to Richard and see all the exchanges between St Martin’s and the Chamber almost 40 years ago. “Most importantly, it’s pleasing
to have a conclusive end and resolution to the mysterious Chamber bell.” Today, the bells are rung every
Sunday between 10am and 11am for a church service and every Tuesday for bell ringing practice. The school requires new bell ringers. Anyone can learn but they must be aged 11 or over and be in reasonable health and able to climb stairs.
To find out more or become a bell ringer, contact the Birmingham School of Bell Ringing by emailing
bhamsor@gmail.com or visiting
www.birminghambells.com
November 2019 CHAMBERLINK 15
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