THREE DECADES OF CHARLIE SMITH

At the end of the day on Monday 11th April, the foundry closed early so that we could honour one of our own, handbell fitter Charlie Smith, on the occasion of his having reached 30 years at Whitechapel. It was a gloriously sunny day, and the presentation of the gold watch by WBF managing director Alan Hughes was held in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry yard.

Charlie Smith joined the foundry on 1st April 1975, a time when Jim Callaghan was Prime Minister and the Bay City Rollers were riding high in the music charts. In the years since then, Charlie has worked on literally thousands of bells and there can't be a corner of the globe where handbells are rung where they aren't ringing bells he assembled.

Here's to you, Charlie, and to many more years of your skills being used to help create the world's finest handbells.

News Archive:

April 2005: Late-October 2004: October 2004: July 2003: June 2003: September 2002: Late-August 2002: August 2002: April 2002: February 2002: September 2001: May 2001: February 2001: December 1999:

Ringing at the Royal Northern 100 Years of the Hughes Family at WBF Lord Mayor Opens WBF Shop Extension Report on Ringing Roadshow, 2003 Ringing Roadshow, 2003 New York: The 9-11 Bell Dedication The 1881 Libel Case Casting the 9-11 Bell Another Liberty Bell A Big Wheel Open Day 2001 (with photos) Historic Finds at the Foundry Open Day 2000 (with photos) Masham and the Millennium