THE six bells of St Mary's will ring a quarter-peal in Kempsey on Sunday in honour of tower captain Ernest Cubberley, who has been ringing the bells for 70 years.

He began ringing at Kempsey when he was 16 years old and remembers the date, May 31, 1932, because it was also the day he started work.

His grandfather and great grandfather had been bellringers before him and his father joined the new bellringing team with him, as did the late Arthur Blizard, who went on ringing until the age of 90.

"My grandfather was the captain of Kempsey bellringers for many years and he lived to be 102, so bellringing is good for you," said Mr Cubberley, who is not thinking of retiring at 86.

"I have enjoyed every minute of it. It's marvellous exercise. It uses all your muscles - your legs to climb the steps and your arms to pull the ropes.

"You have to listen and watch all the time and if you have any aches and pains it stretches them out of you," he said.

In his time, Mr Cubberley has rung around 76 peels, which take around three hours to complete and require the ringers to stay in the same place without speaking or moving positions throughout the peel.

His last was in 1966, in the private bell tower built by Arthur Jopp in his house at Stoulton.

The Kempsey bells are aged from 200 to 400 years old and range in weight from 5cwt to 15cwt, Mr Cubberley's preferred weight in his younger days.

He was secretary of the western branch of the Worcestershire and District Change Ringing Association for 20 years and used to arrange annual outings to other churches.

"I've rung in churches all over the country and we were always made welcome wherever we went," he said.

He also rang at Upton parish church on alternate Sunday mornings for 60 years, ringing at Kempsey on those evenings and the Sunday mornings in between.

He has also been a sidesman at St Mary's for 60 years.