We are delighted that after a week of complicated work, and the generous donations of the church and wider community, our clock chime is now back in service! Ann Jessop, Churchwarden, provides a brief history of the repair:

Fifty years ago, a young man, Iain Staite, aged 25, tragically died while felling trees. In his memory, his parents paid for the electrification of the 1890 tower clock in St Michael’s. This meant it no longer had to be wound every week. The three winding motors from 1972 are still there on the top of the clock cabinet, as you can see in the picture, and we keep these as part of our history. But, after long and reliable service, in 2020 they were clearly failing and their malfunction prevented the quarterly chimes from operating. We obtained three quotes for a repair and they were all around £8,000.

This happened at a bad time for the church and the village. We were struggling to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. The church had no money to spare. Our income was seriously reduced while the building was closed. Applications for grants were partially successful, but there was not much money out there. In the end, the congregation and the village came to the rescue, with a wonderful response to our crowdfunding appeal.

We then had to be patient for six months as Smith of Derby, the chosen supplier, were busy with other contracts. Bryan Mumford did some electrical work in readiness. Smiths finally came to us in November 2021 and clock engineer Richard Cox spent all last week fitting the new winding units, which were specially made for us in Smith’s workshop. The new units are now inside the clock cabinet but I managed to photograph them before they went upstairs.

This seemed to be the right time to sort out some other clock matters and so, at the same time, we installed a night silencer, so as not to disturb the sleep of those who live nearby. In addition, the bellringers now have a ringers’ switch, which replaces the old cable system we had for pulling the clock hammers clear so we could ring the bells safely.

For financial contributions we wish to thank the Allchurches Trust, the Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust, the Warneford Trust, the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, the bellringers, the congregations and the generous people of Bishop’s Cleeve. A good job done!

We have learned that we cannot take anything for granted. Everything must be monitored and maintained and paid for. With all these new works in place, with care and diligence we hope the clock and chimes will be good for many years to come. Enjoy!