Why church bells are silent

 

Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: December 9th, 1916.

Various reasons have been put forward for the non-ringing of church bells in the morning as well as the evening of Sunday, but we now learn from the Bishop of St Albans' monthly pastoral in the Diocesan Gazette of at least one which is authoritative.

This was a letter from the Ministry of Munitions intimating that the ringing of church bells has prevented many munition workers from sleeping on coming back from night shifts. The Minister of Munitions asked if it could not be arranged, either by muffling the bells or in some other way, to prevent the disturbance of their sleep.

Bishop Jacob adds he is quite sure clergy and churchwardens will be glad to fall in with "this temperate request" and expressed his belief that the grievance has by now almost disappeared.

  • This morning two 14-year-old boys from Ash Road admitted stealing 16 boxes of matches, cigarette papers, a set of chessmen and other articles worth £1 4s 2d, the property of the YMCA. Mr H. D. Bulford, leader at the Beech Hill hut, found the property to be missing after he locked up on December 6th. A foreman in charge of the boys at the Diamond Foundry saw them with the articles, questioned them and handed the items to the police. The mothers of the boys were bound over to bring them up if called upon, and an order was made for the payment of costs. The boys had not been in trouble before.

  • Ordinary Signalman A. A. Howe, whose home is at 73 Norman Road, Luton, is now in the Royal Naval Hospital at Gosport, Hants, having been injured by a bomb while seving on a monitor off the French coast. A fragment of metal penetrated to his left lung and is so placed that the surgeons deem it advisable not to extract it. He is, however, making steady progress and hopes soon to be at home.

  • Although quiet, much interest was taken in the wedding on Thursday of Miss Ella Grace Primett, the elder daughter of the Deputy Mayor (Councillor W. J. Primett) and Mrs Primett, of Abbotswood, London Road. She was married at Mount Tabor Methodist Church to Mr Ernest Rivoir Wadsworth, a businessman from St Ives, Hunts. After the ceremony a reception was held at Abbotswood and later the happy couple left and will take up residence at St Ives.

  • The Luton News and Saturday Telegraph Christmas Pudding Fund has now reached the gratifying total of nearly 8,000 shillings. We are indebted to the Biscot Camp Pierrot Troupe and the general public who so numerously supported them for the handsome addition of £33 14s 6d (674s 6d) to the fund as a result of Wednesday evening's concert.

  • Last night an important statement was made at the Luton Chamber of Commerce marking what amounts to an epoch-making step in the history of the Luton straw trade. For a long time efforts have been made to bring about the co-operation of local firms in dealing with the wastage that goes on through the non-return of hat boxes. Last night it was stated that the representative houses have combined and formed an association to take solid action.

  • Householders generally need to be under no further apprehension as to the price of milk increasing beyond the present figure. In the near future we shall also have to consent with what is known as "wholemeal bread". This will remind some of the venerables of the bread of which they partook when children, but it is unlikely that the new make of war bread will be of a more dusky hue than that which helped to produce and uphold the virility of our forefathers.

  • Tuesday was Linen Day at the Bute Hospital, although, of course, the actual collections and donations of these gifts had previously attended over some days. This is the ninth occasion of the appeal to the generosity of many supporters of the Bute Hospital, and, in accordance with custom, Miss Williams, the daughter of Alderman H. O. Williams, sent out appeals to the friends, who were asked to give one shilling and gifts of sheets and other articles of household or hospital utility such as pillow-cases, towels, blankets, night gowns and bed socks.

  • Dreary weather and the prospect of a muddied pitch undoubtedly prevented many attending today's Luton Town London Combination home match against Spurs, who have a strong following at Biscot Camp. The Blues had beaten the visitors in London early in the season, but the outcome was not to be repeated. Dyke put the home side ahead after five minutes, but Spurs equalised by half-time and scored twice in the second period to make the final score 3-1 in their favour.