Bell Ringing
St James has an active and proficient team of Bell Ringers shown here assembled for ringing which is at the following times:Sundays : 9.15am for 10.00am Morning Service
Thursdays : Practice from 8.00pm to 9.15pm St. James Church Bell Ringers At March 2004 there have been 51 Peals on the bells in a variety of methods from Plain Bob to Suprise Major in different methods and Spliced Suprise - 18 conducted by Tower Captain David Holland and 6 conducted by Roger S. Riley of Selby Abbey. The list also includes a silent and non-conducted peal of Yorkshire Suprise Major by a band of "1000 pealers" all from Yorkshire. Because of the proximity of nearby residences peal attempts are strictly limited and the allocation almost entirely used up by the local band of ringers. The original peal of 6 bells dating from 1845 by C & G Mears was the gift of Quentin Rhodes. These were scrapped in 1918 as a memorial of those of Wetherby who fell in The Great War 1914-1918.
The bells were overhauled and the frame re-painted in 1948 and again in 1971 when the clappers and rollers were refurbished and the existing plain bearings replaced with ball-bearings.
A further re-furbishment was carried out by Messrs Hayward & Mills in 1995 after the tenor side gudgeon had broken and it is true to say the bells now "Run like tops". The St James Wetherby Bellringers Back, left to right: Jonathan Twyman, Brian Cooper, Peter Stretton, Richard Hobbs, Brian Moorehouse. Front, left to right: Susan Wilson, David Holland (Tower Captain), Pauline Holland and Val Hobbs.