A BRIDE has rung the bells at her own wedding - in what is believed to be a ‘first’ for Otley Parish Church.

Suzanne Phillipson climbed the spiral stairs up to the church’s Ringing Chamber in her bridal dress following her marriage ceremony on Saturday, March 2.

Suzanne had decided to learn to ring last year after hearing on the Radio 4 show The Archers about a push to recruit new ringers as part of the First World War centenary commemorations.

So she joined Otley Parish Church Bellringers and was up to speed in time to ring with them on Remembrance Sunday, 2018.

Suzanne and her husband, James Yates, were played out of Otley All Saints on their wedding day to the theme from The Archers - and the bellringers also included an Archers Change as the couple departed.

The group’s Tower Captain, Meg Morton, said: “This is the first time I can remember a bride ringing the bells at her wedding in Otley - and I’ve been ringing here at the church since 1982!

“But I may be wrong of course and if there is another Otley ‘ringing bride’ out there we would love to hear from her.

“We knew Suzanne had hoped to come up and ring after the wedding, and we hoped she would find the opportunity but we were a bit worried about her dress.

“Perhaps she chose it with the possibility in mind, though - she rang with great aplomb, anyway.”