Jack Long of Lydney will take part in an attempt to ring a full peal at St Peter's, Newnham-on-Severn to mark his 90th birthday on 16 November. A full peal on seven bells involves more than 5,000 strikes and requires maintaining unique sequences without repeats. Newnham tower captain Chris North described the challenge as 'quite a mean feat' and praised the tower team; visitors are welcome for the final half-hour from 12:30 GMT.
90-year-old bell ringer could make Gloucestershire history with birthday full peal
Jack Long of Lydney will take part in an attempt to ring a full peal at St Peter's, Newnham-on-Severn to mark his 90th birthday on 16 November. A full peal on seven bells involves more than 5,000 strikes and requires maintaining unique sequences without repeats. Newnham tower captain Chris North described the challenge as 'quite a mean feat' and praised the tower team; visitors are welcome for the final half-hour from 12:30 GMT.
01:44 PM, 11/15/2025Culture
90-year-old bell ringer could make Gloucestershire history
Jack Long, one of Gloucestershire's oldest active bell-ringers and a Lydney resident, will take part in an attempt to ring a full peal at St Peter's Church in Newnham-on-Severn to mark his 90th birthday on 16 November.
If the attempt succeeds, Mr Long — who learned to ring at age 10 and began his ringing career in 1945 at St Mary’s Church, Lydney — would become the oldest person in the county to complete a full peal. A full peal on seven bells requires ringing more than 5,000 individual strikes in the maximum number of unique sequences without repeating any order.
Why it matters
The challenge is as much mental as physical: ringers must maintain concentration, technique and stamina for the entire duration. Newnham tower captain Chris North explains the difficulty:
We have one chance to get it right, there’s no stopping, pausing or fixing things and then starting again. It’s quite a mean feat.
Mr Long rang his first full peal at 22 and has helped regularly at St Peter's for decades. He chose the Newnham tower for this milestone because the bells were restored and re-hung in 2019. 'Newnham bells used to be hard work but now they are a dream – the bell hangers did a good job,' he said.
Mr North praised the team who maintain the tower: 'We have a fantastic team of steeple keepers, who focus all the time on the minutest details, making sure the bells ring right.' He added that successful ringing needs more than calloused hands: '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.'
The peal attempt is scheduled to begin at 10:00 GMT on 16 November. Visitors are invited to join the final half-hour from 12:30 GMT to witness the finish and, if successful, the erection of a new peal board in the ringing room to record the achievement.
Visitors should be respectful of the church and the ringing team. For further details, contact the parish or the Newnham tower captain.