The Shea Bells

When Roger Shea, a well known South West handbell team leader, died at a tragically young age, his 4 octave set of Whitechapel handbells fell into disuse. The South West Regional Committee at the time decided to purchase the set with the intention of using them for the benefit of members:

• at rallies to enable ringers attending without their full teams to take an active part
• to enable teams whose bells were not in standard pitch, to participate in massed ringing
• as a loan set while a team's own bells are away for repair or refurbishment and
• as a resource at workshops and other ringing events.

As a permanent reminder of Roger, these bells are referred to as the 'Shea Bells' and are now in regular use as Roger would have wished. A fund for their maintenance, insurance and general upkeep has been established

The Freeman Bells

The Freeman Bells comprise 3 chromatic octaves of Malmark handbells and are available for loan to any team who needs to use them on the proviso they are returned for use at every Regional Rally and mini-rally.

Dontated to the South West Region in 2006 by Alec Freeman. Alec is a huge supporter of the work of HRGB within the handbell world and had been a keystone in the development of handbell ringing in the south of Wales.

In 2010 the South West Committee augmented the set to G7 (1st G on ledger lines above treble stave or Whitechapel size 06G)

The Freeman bells are also used at the National Youth Music Camps in Milton Keynes each year.