Ringing for The Queen's Golden Jubilee

Golden Jubilees don't come every day. If you hunt out your history books, you will find that there have only been five sovereigns of England or the United Kingdom who have achieved it. They are Henry III, Edward III, George III, Victoria - and now Queen Elizabeth II.

So, as well as the general joy and affection of a Jubilee, there is a remarkable achievement to celebrate, and a lifetime of dedicated service to honour.

How should we do it ? The Queen herself has let it be known that she does not want enormous pomp and circumstance: people celebrating happily in their local neighbourhoods and communities are very much the sort of thing she has in mind. Moreover, as well as the "Central Weekend" in London at the beginning of June, she is herself making a major feature of the year a special tour of Britain to visit people in their communities.

It seems sense, therefore, to take our cue from the Queen and gear our ringing to the "local" theme. A glance at Her Majesty's programme for the year suggests some obvious points where bells could take their usual place as - to coin a phrase - the audible icing on any national emotional occasion.

• Royal visits around the country. The Queen's itinerary is available on the Golden Jubilee - Official Site, http://www.goldenjubilee.gov.uk, and from various other sources. Let us know if you need help finding it.
• Central Weekend, Day 1: Saturday, 1.6.02. Anecdotal evidence suggests this is likely to be the most popular day for street parties and local activities. Perhaps the ideal date for peal attempts.
• Central Weekend, Day 2: Sunday, 2.6.02. Churches are being encouraged to hold special Jubilee Services. Could we provide special ringing for the special services ?
• Central Weekend, Day 3: Monday, 3.6.02. Nearly five hundred beacons are to be lit at nightfall. Ringing at that time of day, if local conditions permit, could be extremely impressive.
• Central Weekend, Day 4: Tuesday, 4.6.02. The whole thing comes together, with the National Service of Thanksgiving at St.Paul's Cathedral, timed for 11.30.

This is the focal point of the Jubilee celebrations, and obviously people are going to want to watch the service, and perhaps the Procession and Pageant on television. But before and after the service seems - why not say it ! - a Golden opportunity. Could we, all of us, surround the service with the nationwide sound of bells ? The Central Council's officers, and its Public Relations committee, suggest that ringers everywhere should, if they possibly can, ring their bells on June 4th., 2002, before or after - not during - the National Service of Thanksgiving.

There is every reason - and every excuse - for much ringing this year, involving every possible ringer, and perhaps most of all those who arrived with Ring In 2000. In the next few weeks we hope to explore specially appropriate ways of doing it, linking it perhaps with Queens, or even with the number fifty.

One further point, springing particularly from the local focus of the celebrations, is that this is a great chance to let the local press and broadcasters know all the good things that are happening in our towers and local Associations. Making the press welcome and providing them with positive information about ringing should be well worthwhile.

Ringing for the Jubilee does not, by definition, demand the long sustained campaign we saw for Ring In 2000. But if there is anything the Central Council or its committees can do to help, please remember that it, and they, are there to be of service. Contact details are on the Central Council web site at http://www.cccbr.org.uk and in The Ringing World Diary.

Janet Edwards, telephone: (01376) 563447 or email: janwards@aol.com , is coordinating Jubilee matters for the Public Relations Committee of The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers.

This advice for ringing societies was prepared by the Public Relations Committee of The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, and is similar to the article published in The Ringing World on February 22, 2002, p186.