L-R: Alan and Kathryn Hughe with their staff from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and members of the public took part in the art project 'All the bells' by conceptual artist Martin Creed.

More than a 100 people gathered outside The Whitechapel Bell Foundry this morning to ring a variety of small and large bells to welcome the Olympic Games to London.

L-R: Isabelle, Juliet and Emily join the Whitechapel Bell Foundry to take part in the art project "All the bells"by conceptual artist Martin Creed as everybody rung a bell for three minutes on the day the London Olympic Games starts.

Directors Kathryn and Alan Hughes were joined by their workshop staffs and local residents as they all rang everything from handbells to tower bells outside their workshop on Whitechapel Road.

The occasion was part of a project, All The Bells, by Turner Prize winning artist and musician Martin Creed, inviting everyone up and down the country to ring any bells as loudly and quickly as possibly for three minutes from 8.12am on the day the Olympics starts.

Kathryn said: “We put some of all the different types of bells we have on a table outside, everything from little post and music bells to tower bells for people to pick up.

It was brilliant and great fun.

L-R: Alan and Kathryn Hughes together with the staff from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and members of the public took part in the art project 'All the bells' by conceptual artist Martin Creed. Everybody rung a bell for three minutes on the day the London Olympic Games starts.

“We also had all the bells in our shop, like our ship and door bell ringing. At the back of the workshop we had a slow swinging bell tolling.”

Kathryn said the only TV station present was from China because most of the media were covering the event from Big Ben and HMS Belfast moored near Tower Bridge taking part.

She said: “But we are not complaining. Our company cast Big Ben and it is completely unusual for it to ring for three minutes.”

Founded in 1570 the foundry is listed as Britian’s oldest company in the Guiness Book of Records.