CHURCH bells rang out in a village near Winchester for the first time in more than 50 years on Sunday (September 28).

Picturesque Avington has been without such a sound since St Mary's Church sold its five bells in the 1960s. But after a generous donation three second-hand bells have now been installed at the village facility.

James Graham Maw spent £29,000 on five bells for St Mary's - two more will be installed once permission from the Diocese of Winchester is obtained - in memory of his father, Nigel, who died in 2005. Nigel, a lawyer, was a regular at St Mary's and a former churchwarden.

Fittingly the bells were rung for the first time in 50 years on Sunday for the baptism of Nigel's one-year-old grandson, Jago.

The Rev Jonathan Cruickshank, rector at St Mary's, said father James was "delighted" during the ceremony. He added: "It was such a magic moment, not just for his son but for the bells of the church, too."

Nigel's widow, Gill, said: "He would have been delighted to hear the bells, he was very keen on music and he was very fond of the church."

Bell-ringers had to be drafted in from the surrounding villages for Sunday's ceremony but Mr Cruickshank said he was appealing to Avington residents to become involved. He said: "I think it's very important that we have bell-ringers from Avington, the church belongs to the community."

Mr Cruickshank said the year-long project was completed on Friday, September 19, when the bells were installed at the renowned church.

"It's wonderful to have the bells back for the church," said Mark Stent, who spent 15 years as churchwarden at St Mary's between 1955 and 1997. "I think the church and parish is going strongly at the moment. This is another sign of its strength, but it's down to the generosity of the Graham Maw family."

The 79-year-old said when he moved to Avington in 1954 four of the church's five bells were broken and that he was told by the then Bishop of Winchester that he shouldn't even ring that because of fears about the safety of the tower.

He said it could have been well before World War II that Avington had last heard its church bells ringing.