Church bells ready to ring again

The First Presbyterian Church has its old set of bells restored and ready for use in Invercargill.

Parishioner Bill Blakie reckons he has spent 300 or 400 hours since March to get them working again. Parts were imported from China and the total cost for the restoration was $2000.

’’I’ve converted them from air operated to electric using solenoids . . . hammers come out and smack the bells [in the tower],’’ Blakie said.

He believed bell-ringers operated the 10 tubular bronze bells originally before the operating system changed to air cylinders about 30 years ago.

Before restoring the bells, Blakie thought the previous time he had heard them was four or five years ago and then only two were working.

With the bells restored it provides the church with two bell ringing systems. The other is tape music aired through speakers on the tower before services and at weddings and funerals.

A speaker fell to the ground earlier this year, prompting Blakie to inspect the area it was fastened to in the bell tower.

While in the tower, Blakie saw the old tubular copper bells and thought it would be good to have them working again.

‘‘I volunteered to get them going.’’

The bells are now controlled through a keyboard operated by Blakie in the church.

‘‘We’ll use them, hopefully, on Sunday. When church is finished people will hear the bells ringing . . . we might as well use them.’’

Blakie will also be playing bagpipes at the service, with it being a St Andrew’s Day ceremony.