Her Majesty’s Government has an ambition for church bells to ring out at 12.30pm on 11 November to commemorate the centenary of the Armistice which signalled the end of the First World War. This will be a symbolic way to give thanks for the end of the war 100 years ago and will replicate the national outpouring of relief that took place at the end of the war as news of the Armistice filtered through and bells which had long been silent rang out. Bells ringing out at 12.30 will help mark the shift in emphasis from Remembrance in the morning to thanksgiving in the afternoon for the end of war and for peace. This will coincide with the start of the People’s Procession, as 10,000 members of the public march past the Cenotaph in a nation’s thank you.
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The Dean of Chester, the Very Revd Tim Stratford, says, “It is very easy to take peace for granted. We live in a fragile and turbulent world and the stability that we enjoy is not entirely assured. Remembering those whose lives have been scarred or lost in war and celebrating the gift of peace we have makes a difference. These things spur us on to overcome barriers of fear and separation that underlie today’s poor international relations. Ringing our church bells at 12:30 on 11th November is one way of calling society to notice. The cathedral bell ringers will be joining in and I urge colleagues to make similar arrangements in churches across the diocese.” The Government has developed a webmap so that people can very quickly and easily add their bell ringing and Armistice day events. You can easily add your church to the list. |