11 July 2026
Fetegoers were invited to try their hand at bellringing at Cottingham and Middleton Village Fete on 11 July.
Under the supervision of Welland Valley bell ringing tutors Nick and Helen Churchman, visitors came along to try out the specially constructed ‘Wombell’ – an ingenious contraption with a wooden wheel attached to a functioning bell rope on a tall metal frame. When the rope is pulled, a linked computer makes the bell sound, imitating how a church bell works and giving an idea of what’s involved in ringing.
The stall attracted lots of visitors and several people showed an interest in coming along to try the real thing. A big thank you to Nick and Helen, and also to Rich Guilford and Nigel Oakham, who helped get the Wombell set up on the day.
