Sheriff's Peal Appeal
Since the Middle Ages, church bells are perhaps the most constant and unchanged sound to be heard in the City of London. Bells have called people to worship, sounded the curfew, warned of fire, and celebrated national events.
The Peal Appeal
I am ringing the bells of 12 Livery linked City Churches in the Peal Appeal, a series of performances to raise money for the Sheriffs’ & Recorder’s Fund.
Coinciding with the 300th anniversary of the first ever 12 bell peal in the UK (at St Brides Church, Fleet St, 1725) over 100 ringers from London and across the UK are travelling to the City to support me and to raise funds.
The hope is that donors will match the ringers’ efforts with energetic donations.
To support me, please go to my Just Giving page:
Peals are like marathons
Peals are the bell ringing equivalent of a marathon They are a trial of stamina, testing both physical and mental ability.
With up to 12 ringers and 5000 changes, peals can take between 3 and 4 hours non-stop. Quarter peals, a bit like 10k runs, take up to an hour to complete.
So these are a significant challenge and the performance can only be considered completed and achieved if there are no errors that bring it to a premature halt.
The planned performances include
| Dates | Church | Associated Livery Company |
|---|---|---|
| 10.00 21 June | St Michael, Cornhill | Drapers; Merchant Taylors; Upholders; Master Mariners; Air Pilots; Water Conservators |
| 17.00 10 July | St Mary le Bow | Mercers; Grocers; Scriveners; Furniture Makers; Arbitrators; Firefighters; International Bankers |
| 15.30 13 July | St Lawrence Jewry | Haberdashers; Girdlers; Loriners; Distillers; Tobacco Pipe Makers; Chartered Surveyors; Actuaries; Insurers; Chartered Architects; Constructors |
| 17.00 31 July | St James, Garlickhythe | Skinners; Vintners; Dyers; Painter-Stainers; Joiners & Ceilers; Weavers; Horners; Clockmakers; Needlemakers; Glass Sellers; Coachmakers; Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers; Fan Makers; Management Consultants; Educators; Parish Clerks |
| 19.00 31 July | St Giles, Cripplegate | Salters; Barbers; Gardeners |
| 14.00 02 Sept | St Vedast, Foster Lane | Goldsmiths; Pewterers; Wax Chandlers; Woolmen; Saddlers; Plaisterers; Engineers |
| Provisional dates | ||
| 27-Jun | St Olave, Hart Street | Clothworkers; Environmental Cleaners |
| 20-Jul | Holy Sepulchre | Musicians |
| 29-Jul | Southwark Cathedral | Glaziers; Launderers |
| 02-Sep | St Bartholomew, Smithfield | Butchers; Fletchers; Founders; Feltmakers; Farmers; Information Technologists; Tax Advisers |
| 02-Sep | St Magnus the Martyr | Fishmongers; Plumbers |
| 14-Sep | St Pauls Cathedral | City of London Corporation |