Mary-le-Bow did not ring for 21 years (1940-1961). They were damaged in 1941 when they came crashing to the ground. In 1956, the Lord Mayor of London launched an appeal to raise money to repair and restore the bells to the church. He requested help from the Pearly Kings and Queens of London in this appeal.

When was the last time Bow Bells ring?

The Bow Bells are probably the most famous in the world. The previous 'great bell at Bow' was destroyed in an air raid of 1941. Now Bow has 12 bells, hung in 1961 as part of the repair programme after the war. A recording of Bow Bells is still used today by the BBC World Service before some English Language broadcasts.

Where can you hear the Bow Bells?

The term mainly refers to speakers of the distinctive Cockney dialect of English used in and around London, particularly by the working and lower-middle classes; especially people from the East End, or, traditionally, people born within earshot of Bow Bells.