PRIOR to the Hampshire County World War One Centenary service in Winchester Cathedral on Sunday (June 22) the bells pealed specially to mark the sombre anniversary.

The Guild Memorial to 56 ringers from 36 churches across the old (1914) Winchester Diocese who died in World War One, stands in the corner of the cathedral belfry and a team of ringers from across Hampshire and beyond rang a quarter peal of 1,342 changes of Grandsire Cinques conducted by Steven Noyes of Brighstone, Isle of Wight.

A short service was conducted beforehand by the Canon Precentor, the Reverend Susan Wallace, who is pictured here with ringers from the Guildford, Portsmouth  and Winchester dioceses representing  the towers listed on the memorial.