Bell-ringer makes history with birthday peal

15 November 2025

Rachel CandlinWest of England

News image — Jack Long, 89, has become the oldest bell-ringer in Gloucestershire to have completed a full peal

Sam Bolingbroke Jack is smiling to camera in the bell tower, holding onto a rope which is black, red and yellow-striped. He has white hair and is wearing a blue jumper with a poppy attached. There is a black and white photo behind him showing old pictures of bell-ringers. — Jack Long, 89, has become the oldest bell-ringer in Gloucestershire to have completed a full peal

A life-long bell ringer has made history by completing a marathon ringing session to mark his 90th birthday.

Jack Long, from Lydney in Gloucestershire, rang a full peal at St Peter's Church in Newnham-on-Severn on Saturday ahead of his birthday on Sunday.

Mr Long, who learned to ring aged 10, became the oldest ringer in the county to have completed the three-hour feat.

A full peal is the maximum number of times you can ring the seven bells without once repeating the same sequence - meaning each bell is rung more than 5,000 times.

Andy Vivian A group of people stand in a church belfry. They hold the ropes of the church bells. An older man with white hair, a dark sweater and blue jeans stands fourth from the left. A stained glass window is visible in the background. — Mr Long, fourth from left, completed the full peal with team at St Peter's in Newnham-on-Severn on Saturday.

Mr Long completed the challenge in three hours, with help from a team at St Peter's. Afterwards he said his hip was hurting from standing in the same spot and it would "definitely be his last" full peal.

His ringing career started in 1945 at St Mary's Church, Lydney, and he rang his first full peal aged 22.

St Peter's Church was selected for the challenge as the bells were restored and re-hung in 2019.

"[The] bells used to be hard work but now they are a dream – the bell hangers did a good job," he said.

John Gibson A very old, faded, photo of six bell ringers standing outside by a church tower in casual clothes and smiling to camera — Mr Long (R), seen here in 1988, has been bell ringing for 80 years

St Peter's tower captain Chris North said they had a "fantastic team of steeple keepers who focus all the time on the minutest details to ensure the bells ring right".

"You need to make sure you've got bell ringers' hands - which tend to be reasonably calloused.

"But as long as your technique is right, it's more about the mental stamina and the concentration that's needed and your knowledge of the method," he added.

The team is now planning to hang a new "peal board" - a commemorative plaque recording the completion of a full peal - in the church's ringing room.

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