The beauty of the bells

BIG BEN WILL CHIME AND BRITAIN'S BELLS WILL RING TODAY, HERALDING THE LONDON OLYMPICS
Today across Britain bells will peal in every city, town and small village in joyous celebration.  The world's top athletes are gathered in one of the world's most historic cities to participate in London's Olympics. 

BIG BEN

At the very heart of London, Big Ben, that iconic British symbol, will chime 40 times for a full three minutes.  At the start of the Olympics opening ceremony,  a 27-ton bell from the  Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the birthplace of Big Ben and Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell will add its peals to thousands of other bells across the country.

Having lived in Oxford England for a decade years back, I have on many occasions been stirred by the sound of Britain's bells; on May Morning in Oxford the bells throughout the city welcome the summer with celebratory peals.  When Dr. Eric Heaton, the Dean of Christ Church in Oxford (I worked closely with him for many years) retired, the city bells rang for him.  "How does it feel to have such approbation" I asked him at the time. "It's rather like being at my own funeral" he said, laughing.

What a day it will be today.  How I would love to be back in England to hear those bells.

Photos copyright Anne Gordon
Posted on Friday 27th July, 2012