STUDENTS at Shebbear College have been learning about a broad range of subjects recently, with school visits by several experts. Chris Rolls from the Methodist Relief Development Fund did workshops with the children on global issues such as fair trade, global warming and poverty. And following in the footsteps of John Queen, an ardent campanologist at Shebbear College over forty years ago, teacher Jo Barnes, who is also vice-captain of Shebbear bellringers, has started to train six pupils in the art of bellringing at St Michael?s Church Shebbear. Their first assignment was to climb the ladders inside the ancient tower to view the six bells, the heaviest of which, the tenor bell, weighs more than nine cwt. Having ?met? the bells, they were able to see the stunning views over the countryside. It takes about a year to learn how to ring a church bell properly, so Mrs Barnes is hoping the six young trainees will prove to be determined enough to master this traditional art. Countrywide, around 10,000 new ringers are needed if the bells are to keep ringing in towns and villages, so now is the ideal time to contact the local tower captain!
