Bellboy – Documentary – BBC Radio 4
In 2001 Marcus Vergette, a musician/artist/farmer was under lockdown with his small community in North Devon – they were case number 36 in the country during the spread of foot and mouth disease. Men with automatic weapons were stationed up his lane to stop anyone from leaving. After 6 months of isolation, one day the village’s old church bell began ringing after months of silence, signaling the easing of restrictions – with the chiming sound, people were “called” up the hill where they could all finally meet. Often a symbol of authority (Big Ben, BBC News, school bell), Marcus was struck by the power of the bell to bring his community back together.
This period of forced introspection was the driving force for Marcus’ next endeavor – The Time and Tide Bells project. This is a growing collection of bells (currently 13) spread across the UK coastline that are activated by the force of the tide. Each bell is requested by a local community for a different reason and is then used and taken care of by them:
“You have the group of fishermen in Great Bernerra (Isle of Lewis) who lost a mate at sea. Now this self-sufficient community uses the bell as a location to spread ashes of loved ones. And the local youth also use it as target practice…”
In Harwich, gateway to UK’s biggest container port, an inspiring and enthusiastic teacher uses their bell to connect children with the sea, teaching them about ocean and sound waves.
In Morecambe, every month a group of musicians gather at high spring tide to play their instruments along with the sea ringing their bell.
With this project growing, a community of fans develops (calling themselves The Clangers), who follow and visit the bells across the country.
As we go from one community to another, a new story emerges – concerning a bell very close to home. Marcus’ local church has fallen into disrepair. Still holding its original bell (dated circa 1440), it has gone silent yet again. In an attempt to preserve its bell, Marcus (now locally known as Bellboy) runs into red tape and various obstacles by the archdeacon of barnstaple, who seems to prefer letting the church slowly crumble, taking its bell with it. Not willing to give up, Marcus fights on, but soon finds himself physically locked out of the church.
This is a story of people across the country discovering and harnessing the power of bells to connect with each other and with their landscapes. And it is a story of one man’s fight to bring back the sound that holds his own community together.
Bellboy will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 9th February 2025 at 7.15pm.