Move keeps bell safe and sound

St Joseph's School in Stratford has given an old bell a new lease of life, ensuring its melodic tone will be heard by generations more of pupils at the school.

The bell is thought to be over 150 years old and started its life calling parishioners to mass from its position above the first Catholic Church in Stratford in 1884.

It was then used by Sister Mary Clement to call the pupils in to the opening day at St Joseph's, January 25 1897.

The Stratford Press ran an article on the bell 15 years ago, when it was then re-erected in a garden at the school and was rung by members of the school's centennial committee in the lead up to their celebration of 100 years of the school.

While the bell has stood the test of time remarkably well, in order to ensure this piece of history is preserved for future generations at the school, it has now been moved from its place outside into the entranceway of the school, giving it shelter from the elements as well as making it more visible to all visitors to the school.

Deputy chairman of the board of trustees, Alex Kuriger was involved in this decision and organised the project for which he enlisted the help of Geoff Grierson, manager of Stratford Engineering, who had also been responsible for the original restoration and mounting of the bell in 1997.

Geoff says this time around, modifying the stand to suit its new location, took him less time than when he first designed it.

He says the original design was taken from a railway station bell, to which he added "the leafy bits" on the top of the stand.

Alex says the base is now much stronger as it has "four wheelbarrows of concrete in it".