BARNABY FESTIVAL LAUNCHED

Hundreds of bells rang out in Macclesfield last night to usher in the town`s third Barnaby Festival.
The event was inspired by the national three-minute bell-ringing event, `All the Bells`, which will launch the London Olympics in July.

Nicholas Smith, the director of Macclesfield`s Silk Opera and the event`s conductor, said: “We wanted to open the third Barnaby Festival with a flourish, with as many bells as possible ringing together – so church bells, hand bells, tubular bells, door bells, mobile phone bells, alarm bells, cycle bells – you name it, we want you to ring it.