Wednesday 25 Nov 2009
Perth and Burswood, Australia
Toll the Bells and the Links
We started our day at the Swan Bell Tower and got a lesson about the ancient folk art of change ringing. The Swan Bell Tower is the world's only bell tower that was custom built to allow safe, close-up viewing of the bell ringers practicing this highly specialized musical style.
The Bells hail from one of London's most famous churches, St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square. The Bells of St. Martin's have rung out for over 600 years to mark historic occasions, including England's 1588 defeat of the Spanish Armada. The'y've welcomed in the New Year for more than 275 years and rang more recently for the September 11 and the Bali boming tragedies.
The twelve bells of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London were given to the people of Western Australia, the University of Western Australia and the City of Perth to commemorate Australia's bicventenary in 1988. The bells were cast between 1725 and 1770.
The tower is structured so you can see the bell ringers pull the ropes that ring the bells in the huge tower above on the 1st floor and you can ascend up 6 flights of stairs to the top to actually see the bells in action. Quite amazing. Today they did a "Quarter Peel" which takes about 45 minutes and is 1250 rings on each bell (today there were 6 ringers, thus 6 bells X 1250). There is a method or order if you will, that each ringer follows and no bell is rung in the same order twice in the Peel. Example they could play bell A, B, C, D, E, F then B, A, C, D, E, F then F, C, A, B, D, E.... and so on and so on.... never a repeating sequence.... Quite amazing !
We then hit the links @ Burswood Resort in very windy conditions - played 9 holes and spotted our first Black Swans. Mom & Pop were teaching 2 babies how to forrage through the grass for food. The babies have the down feathers... grayish in color and are absolutely adorable. The highlight of our time on the links because our golf sucked big time !
Having Chinese food for dinner tonight then head out early tomorrow morning (11/26) for Rottsnest Island for the day.
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