Mabel rings in the celebrations for her 60th year of the bells

When the six historic bells at St Peter's Church were re-hung way back in 1952, a public appeal was made for volunteers to learn how to ring them.

Ten-year-old Mabel Arrowsmith was one of a group of friends who, with nothing else to do, decided to put their names forward for duties at the church in Wrockwardine, on the outskirts of Telford.

It was the start of a real labour of love – for ever since, at least once a week, usually more, she has climbed the 48 steps which wind in and out of the picturesque church and eventually lead up into the bell tower.

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The mother-of-two, who lives in Wrockwardine not far from the church with husband Geoff, turned 70 on Valentine's Day and this year is her 60th consecutive year ringing the bells.

Not even being heavily pregnant with either of her two children or having a dodgy hip has stopped her – and she today vowed to carry on for as long as her body would let her.

"I just love doing it, it is my favourite thing in the world," she said.

"I started doing it when I was 10 because the bells had been re-hung at the church and they were looking for people to learn how to ring them. A group of us put our names forward because at the time there was nothing much else to do. Over the years for one reason or another, be it old age or moving away, they have all stopped but I am still here.

"And I will continue to be for as long as I can. Now I have reached the 60-year milestone I am starting to think about getting to 70."

St. Peter's is thought to be of Saxon origin and The Domesday Book of 1068 refers to a church and a priest in the settlement.

The tower houses six bells which have been ringing out for 600 years.

Mrs Arrowsmith said a group of eight pensioners still gathered regularly to ring the bells at least once a week – but admitted youngsters nowadays were not showing the interest she once did.

"In our group there is one gentleman who is slightly older than me who has just joined, the rest are younger but they are all in their 60s," she said.

"I carried on getting up the steps while I was heavily pregnant and even in 1994 when I was waiting for a hip operation I still managed to get up and down.

"But my son and daughter have never really shown any interest in it and you don't seem to get the young people wanting to do it nowadays. It might look easy but it is quite a skill to learn and master.

"Some churches have thriving groups of bellringers, others are struggling. We ring the bells every Wednesday, every other Sunday at services and for other special events.

"I will go on as long as I can – but you do wonder what is going to happen to the ancient tradition when the likes of us are too old to do it anymore or not here."

Mrs Arrowsmith may be a marvel but she still has a little way to go to match the record of Britain's oldest bell ringer.

He was Bill Harding who rang the bells at St Mary's Church in Brewood, Staffordshire, for more than a quarter of a century.

Mr Harding, who lived in the village, continued his proud tradition right up until the last few weeks before his death last December – five months before his 100th birthday.