Derek Jackson is currently the Chairman of the North West Region of the Handbell Ringers of Great Britain and has been involved in ringing handbells since his early days as a tower bell ringer at St. Barnabas Church, Bromborough,
For 30 years he directed the Blacon Handbell Ringers at Blacon High School, Chester, where he was a Physics teacher and Pastoral Head. In September 2001
he was invited to start a handbell team at the Bishops' High School, Chester.
The First Days
In October video of handbell ringing clips was shown to each class in Year7 and interested pupils put their names on a list. After a week of auditions the original sixty were whittled down to two teams. A few Year 8 pupils were drafted in and practice started for Christmas. The first performance was at a local Residential Home on 12th. November. On 8th. Decmber the main team made it's first public debut at the NW Region Carol Festival at Bolton, Parish Church. The Christmas term was finished off with an appearance at the school Carol Service at Chester Cathedral.. At weekends the team rang in and around Chester raising money for local charities.
The Current Teams
This term started with one or two changes and we now have a School Team and a Reserve Team who practice regularly before and after school.
The School Team ( or most of them!)
Tenor Section Bass Section
Treble 1 Treble 2
