AN appeal was this week issued for people to join the team of bellringers at Tavistock Parish Church.

The church has one of the finest sets of bells in the country — and bellringers' captain George Mudge is keen to attract new ringers to learn the ancient art.

George said: 'I know there are a few people living in the town that used to ring — I'd love to encourage them back and also to encourage anyone new to try.'

The bellringers practise on Tuesday nights between 7.30pm and 9pm, and then ring the bells for services on Sunday mornings.

George said: 'We've got a good band but one or two have moved away and we always need to bring on new people.

'Age isn't important, you can be between 12 and 70 — the hardest bit about ringing is climbing the 50 steps up to the ringing chamber! You need to be relatively fit but not super-fit.'

George said new bellringers would spend a few months learning the ropes, then they would be taught how to ring the bells as part of the team.

'It's a great thing to do,' said George. 'I've been doing it since I was 15 — I've rung bells all over the world, although it's a particularly British art.'

George said British bells are swung in a full circle, unlike in most other countries.

'There are more bells swung in Devon than in the rest of the world put together. We have a beautiful peal of ten bells in Tavistock.

'Small villages like Whitchurch or Lamerton would generally have six bells — we used to have eight but we increased it to ten to celebrate the new millennium — they are one of the best peals of ten in the country,' said George.

'It's the sort of thing you don't have to be musical for — I can't read music — but you do have to have a sense of rhythm.'

George said that Tavistock currently has about 15 bell ringers but the team needed extra to cover for holidays, sickness or work commitments.

Anyone interested in learning how to ring the bells or who would like more information should call George Mudge on 01822 615456.