Update: the bells and frame have now been removed and are on their way to Whitechapel and Bridport respectively.

It took three men from Nicholson's the inside of a week to lower the bells one by one through the hatches in each floor of the tower and then dismantle the cast iron frame and lower each piece the same way. On Friday a large flat bed lorry and crane arrived, and all eight bells were loaded on together with the dismantled frame. All being well, it will all come back mid-november looking somewhat cleaner.

Photos will appear shortly!

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The following article appeared in the Summer edition of The Spire just as the preparatory work was commencing:

The bell restoration project has now started on site. The Diocese granted the Faculty (the ecclesiastical equivalent of planning permission) on 26th March giving us the green light to mobilise the various contractors involved. Our selected bellhanger is Nicholson Engineering Ltd, a small specialised family firm led by Andrew Nicholson and based in Bridport, Dorset. They will be responsible for dismantling the whole installation and refurbishing the main parts off-site, a process which is programmed to start on 4th August. Once removed from the tower, the bells will go to the Whitechapel Bell Foundry for cleaning and retuning before their onward journey to Bridport. Once there the bells will be fitted with new fittings, such as, metal headstocks and wooden wheels. Perhaps the most significant improvement will be the new bearings on which they will be mounted making them smoother and more user-friendly. English Heritage are keen that we retain the old cast-iron frame so this too will be cleaned, stiffened, re-erected and load tested off-site. If all goes well the installation will be back in Brentwood by mid-November, so bells by Christmas is a real possibility. Before any of this can happen our builder and electrician will come in during July to clear the access ways. You may have noticed that the clock hands are stuck at 10 minutes to 10 but this is not because Julien has forgotten to wind the clock! The mechanism has already been removed. Our clock specialist is The Cumbria Clock Company Ltd based in Penrith, Cumbria. By the time this edition hits the bookstalls, it is possible that the dials too will have been removed. Expert abseilers will descend from the top of the tower to lower the dials to ground level. Each dial is about 4’6” diameter and about 50ft up the tower face, so the abseiling technique is much quicker than using scaffolding - as well as being cheaper. As mentioned previously, the old fittings (elm headstocks, chestnut and oak wheels and cast-iron clappers) are to be scrapped, but should anyone be interested in making a donation for a piece of local history, then look at the notice opposite. None of this work would have been possible without the generosity of members of the parish who have supported the Bell Restoration Fund in so many ways. The latest initiative of Sponsored Sunday Service Ringing has to-date raised about £400. However, we were really disappointed at not being able to fulfil a request at the end of April due to lack of ringers. Every effort was made by calling on other ringers from local towers to help out but they too were without sufficient numbers. It would seem that even bellringers take holidays! In this 'crisis', step forward Fr Matthew, who, in order not to let the sponsored occasion go without some formal recognition, kindly 'sang' Bing-Bong-Bing-Bong. Perhaps we could persuade him to do this each week that the bells will be out of action! This situation does, however, highlight the need to get more people involved with bellringing. Think about it and if you should wish to give it a try, please contact me or let the Parish Office know. Chris Bailey, Tower Captain