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For nearly as long as the bells have been played, Pealers have signed their names (usually in pencil!) somewhere in the bell tower at the end of their senior years. We can find dates at least as far back as 1908.
The current tradition is for seniors to sign when no one else is around, so that returning members must search for the previous year's names.
Some of the most easily read and earliest examples are right by the stained-glass window in the same room where we gather to play. Be sure to look for them when you come to visit!
Another feature of the bell tower is the lady bugs! (Actually, we have been told that they are not technically true lady bugs, but whatever they are, we certainly see large numbers of them!) For some
reason they seem to like the bell tower, which is why they can often be spotted in our photographs.
To learn more about the history of the Pealers and the bell tower, see Diana's brief history of the bells.
If you're brave enough to venture up one more flight of stairs to see a bit more, the next room up is where we can access the clock that controls the time for the automated ringing of the hour, as well as the Cambridge Chimes on the quarter hours.
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