Firing the bells (at the church on New Year's).Midnight on New Year's Eve. The villagers are gathered in the churchyard to greet another year. On the first stroke of 12, the church bells peal out v. i. 1. To give off a loud pealing sound; to peal. 2. To accelerate quickly from a stop in a vehicle, especially an automobile, so that the tires grind against the pavement and make a squealing noise while accelerating; - sometimes performed by young drivers for , fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to light up the sky, and the champagne corks pop. A new century, and a new millennium, has begun. That was how it was meant to be, anyway. Up in the belltower, we all knew that this was the night in 365,000 to be a bellringer. English church bells are rung--and hung--in a different way from those in other countries. It's all a bit technical, but the fact that they're mounted on wheels, with a checking device to stop them spinning round and round, means that they complete a 360 degree revolution each time they sound and that the ringers can control their speed and change their position in the ringing sequence. It can take a while to learn how to do this. The key thing is to keep your feet on the ground, keep hold of the end of the bell rope a rope by which a church or other bell is rung. See also: Bell and NEVER RING AT THE SAME TIME AS ANOTHER BELL. Except, when as he did this New Year's Eve, the rector asks you to `fire the bells'. This means ringing all six at once, in an impressive crash, and it's a great deal easier when you don't mean to do it than when you do. Last time we tried to learn to fire the bells we got complaints from a local resident who said she couldn't hear her TV on practice nights. This time we had pity on the community and practised practised Adjective expert or skilled because of long experience in a skill or field: the doctor answered with a practised smoothness Adj. 1. with the bells muffled muf·fle 1 tr.v. muf·fled, muf·fling, muf·fles 1. To wrap up, as in a blanket or shawl, for warmth, protection, or secrecy. 2. a. . On the great night, as the clock ticked One increment, or pulse, of the CPU clock. See clock speed and clock. towards midnight we stood poised, holding our ropes, waiting for the cry, `Look to, fire the bells!' As the hand moved to 12, the bells crashed out, in complete (well nearly complete) unison, 12 times. Then we began to ring `Grandsire grandsire sire of an animal's dam or sire. Doubles', an ancient `method' devised in the 17th century. It was only later that we discovered that the rector, down in the churchyard below, was still in mid-prayer when the bells fired--an unequal competition if ever there was one. The choir, who then burst into song, didn't fare much better. But the ringers had a terrific time. And after all it was our night. |
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