by Alan Quick

A PEAL on the church bells at Crediton Parish Church in memory of former tower captain Howard Egglestone on Saturday, February 17, was brought to an abrupt end.

The clapper in the 10th bell, after some excellent ringing, came out and stopped the peal, which was due to last from 10am until 1.30pm.

Tower Captain, Geoff Sparling, explained that this was the second time that the said clapper had fallen out.

He commented: “It came out during a peal attempt in November 2015.

“This time the clapper smashed through the slider and took a chunk out of the slider track. It appears that the failure this time was because of a poor weld in the clapper bearing housing.”

He added that the clapper had been taken to Nicholson’s in Bridport to be repaired.

Mr Sparling said that it was not the first time that such an incidence had occurred.

“We also lost the ninth clapper during the Devon Association 10-bell striking competition in April last year,” he said.

Mr Sparling added that at no time was there any danger to the ringers caused by clapper failures.

“There are two very stout floors between the bells and the ringers and I have emphasised this to our churchwardens and others,” he said.

Members of the Egglestone family met with the ringers for lunch at The Crediton Inn following the peal attempt.