Dear friends and neighbours of St. Michael and All Angels’ Church,We are very pleased indeed to announce that St. Michael’s has recently installed a new electrically driven chime hammer system which will enable our church’s bells to ring out, even when we have no available bell ringers.As well as ringing the bells, the new system will enable us to restore the chimes to the church clock. We are going to re-introduce the sound of the bells at our Patronal Festival Services (St Michael’s Day) on Sunday 29th September 2024.This extensive project has been made possible thanks to the generosity of members of our congregation, past and present, which makes it extra special!The bells and the clock chimes have been mainly silent for a couple of years due to mechanical issues, so we are very glad that the wonderful sound of the church bells of Headingley will be heard regularly again.A short peal of bells will be rung prior to the start of our 10am Sunday morning service, and before the start of our 6.30pm Evensong service, each week. There may also be occasions of national or exceptional events where a peal will be rung.In addition, the clock will strike the hours and the half hour chime from 8.00am to 8.00pm. The new system allows the clock chimes to be silent after 8pm, in consideration for our neighbours.The current planned exceptions to this pattern are for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve when the clock chimes will strike to mark midnight.There may be traditional (manual) bell ringing from visiting groups during the year, as currently happens. We will also have bell ringing (manually or electronically) for special events (this will not take place after 8.00pm). For example, the bells may be used to ring for weddings and funerals, and may play Christmas carols on the evening of the Headingley Christmas Lights celebration and also on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day.We hope that all our neighbours and friends will enjoy the sound of the bells ringing out once again!Rev’d Josh (Curate), John and Ann (Churchwardens), September 2024
'Living with Death' at Leeds City Museum, 03 May 2024 to 05 Jan 2025Millennium Square, Leeds, LS2 8BH - Free entryThere can be few subjects as uncomfortable as death. We know that it affects everyone, but it is often difficult to talk about. Most people in modern Britain avoid thinking about their own death until the last moment. They put off making wills, they do not leave clear instructions about the sort of funeral they would like, and they rarely make long-term plans for their final years. The ‘business of death’ is professionalized and hidden away from society - behind the doors of funeral homes and crematoria.This is is stark contrast to past generations - families had to take a more intimate approach to caring for the elderly and the dying, and to preparing the deceased for burial. People were encouraged to consider what a ‘good death’ would look like and be prepared to put their affairs in good order - to die in a right relationship with God and their neighbour, and to state how they wanted their possessions passed on.Now Leeds City Museum has launched a new exhibition, called ‘Living with Death’, which invites visitors to explore the different ways people experience death, dying, and grief . ‘Living with Death’ looks at how humans have developed knowledge and skills in response to life ending. The exhibition hopes to gently encourage conversation through personal stories, and objects from across the world and throughout history. A series of talks, workshops, and family-friendly events will complement the exhibition throughout the year. The exhibition has been developed with input from local communities - including a couple of contributions from St Michael’s - and is supported by Dying Matters Leeds, part of a national initiative promoting public awareness of dying, death, and bereavement.Please do visit the exhibition and to take time, whatever your age or state of health, to consider the questions it raises. What does it mean to have a ‘good death’ and how can we live well with death rather than avoiding it fearfully?
