MEMBERS of Bude Fire Station held a barbecue recently and donated its taking to St Michael and All Angels Church to help towards refurbishment.

St Michael and All Angels Church Bells were erected in 1834 with an inscription on one reading ‘Glory Be To God On High’ and on the other ‘Peace On Earth and Goodwill Towards Men’, both weighing in at approximately 200kg each.

Three years later in 1837 the existing clock was put in place to commemorate the accession of Queen Victoria.

In recent years the bells mounting and platform have deteriorated to such an extent that a complete refurbishment was required including the bells and chiming mechanism, an approximate cost of the refurbishment being £10,000.

St Michael’s Church overlooks Bude Fire Station and has a long standing relationship with it due to the fact Bude is the only fire station in Cornwall without its own drill tower that could be used for ladder training.

Station personnel over many years have utilised the church tower to extend the 13.5 metre ladder to its full extent enabling training exercises to be carried out.