The Bell

The Parents, pupils, Governors, Staff and Former Thoresbians worked together throughout 2002, Thoresby’s Centenary year, to raise money to pay for the refurbishment of the original school calling bell. The school was the last of 37 Board schools to be built in Hull, and when it opened in August 1902 the same bell was installed.

The bell was ‘cast’ at the factory of John Taylor and Co. of Loughborough, Leicestershire. The same company cast the bells of St. Paul’s in London, Holy Trinity, Hull, and York Cathedral, (Minster). Our bell is made of bronze, weighs half a hundredweight, (about 25 Kilograms), and still has its original ‘clapper’. The bell had been painted black over the years, (sacrilege!), and this seriously affected the tone. It took a great deal of time and effort to chip off the old paint before the bell could be sand-blasted and then coated to avoid the bronze turning green!

One of the school’s teachers, Mr Paul Grantham, co-ordinated the effort and liaised with Mr David Stipetic, the clock custodian for Hull and Steeple Keeper of the Church of the Holy Trinity, to arrange the work and oversee the dismantling and reinstatement of the bell. The bell had to be sent away to Barnsley for the work and only returned at the end of February, to the great delight of the children.

This is the sole surviving school bell in working order in Hull, another from Bean Street School is still on display, but not in operation.

There was an inaugural ceremony on March 10th 2002 (the date the foundation stone was laid in 1902), when the bell was officially handed over by Mr. Stipetic to the present head teacher, Miss Sue Kennedy, then blessed by the Rev. Alistair Laird from St. Cuthbert’s Church, Marlborough Avenue. Pupils, staff, parents and Old Thoresbians were present to witness a little piece of local history being made. The bell was then rung for the first time in over 50 years.