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Bell Ringing at All Saints Church StaplehurstMonthly Reports for 2006
February/March 2006 ReportBell-ringers know how enjoyable ringing is because it stretches the mind as well as the muscles. It may not look very interesting to non-ringers but it is a wonderful activity that provides a sense of belonging and opportunities to meet kindred spirits near and far. You don't necessarily have to take my word for it either, just come along and see for yourself!Following this is a report from a visiting ringer, Margaret, who has been working in Staplehurst for the past five months. We shall be sorry to see her go home to South Africa at the end of February, because she is a lovely person and has become a very useful member of our band. To mark her time with us, in the time-honoured fashion adopted by bell-ringers far and wide, we will ring a Quarter Peal with Margaret on Sunday 12th February. A Quarter Peal is ringing together continuously for approximately 45 minutes. Unfortunately the number of experienced ringers in our band has been gradually dwindling over the past years for a variety of personal reasons. If new people don't come forward to learn soon, we will reach a critical point from which it will be difficult to recover. We already often only ring five or six bells for Sunday services, rather than all ten, because we have too few ringers. New learners are always welcome; people of all ages can learn to ring including young people 11+ with or without their parents/guardians. We have Child Protection Procedures in place if youngsters prefer to attend on their own or with friends of a similar age, but ringing can be a rewarding activity for all the family to enjoy. Christine has recently joined us and is already making good progress. You will find us in the tower on Tuesday evening practices (7.30 pm to 9.15 pm) and ringing twice on Sundays for services (9.15 am to 10 am and 5.45 pm to 6.30 pm). Special practices for learners and young ringers now take place on Tuesday evenings from 7.30 pm - 8 p.m. Come up and see us, you are guaranteed a warm welcome! Sue Bassett Tower Captain Tel: 01580 891917 MARGARET - a visiting bell-ringer from South Africa In October last year I came from Cape Town to work a 5-month 'care' assignment looking after an elderly lady just outside Staplehurst. My only vice is bellringing, and wherever I go on a care assignment I seek out the nearest bellringing band, but on a previous visit to Staplehurst the Rector told me that she had a 'formidable' band of ringers, so this time I was a little dubious about making an appearance at practice night and put it off - making all kinds of excuses to myself - for a couple of weeks. However, my fears were unfounded and I found at the tower a group of friendly and laid-back people who welcomed me unreservedly into their midst. They have helped and encouraged me to ring methods we in Cape Town don't often get the chance to ring due to a shortage of experienced ringers, and they don't get upset when things go wrong. I have found bellringing to be a wonderful hobby and release - wherever I go in the UK and Ireland I find towers and bellringers who welcome me as a visitor, and I'm sure the attitude at towers in Africa, America and the Antipodes is the same. Ringing in Staplehurst has given me a circle of - I think I can consider them - friends, and has made my stay all the more enjoyable. Tuesday practice and Sunday service ringing have given me something to look forward to every week - important, as my work is live-in. In Staplehurst you are privileged to have a beautiful church with 10 well tuned bells kept in great condition which are connected to a computer for training purposes, and a wonderful group of ringers. If there is anyone out there looking for a hobby and willing to put aside some time to ring on Sundays (for after all, calling the faithful to church is the main reason for having bells in the church), I thoroughly recommend that you pay your local tower a visit. Bellringing can be practised by children from about the age of 11 and adults of any age who are fit enough to climb the few steps to the ringing chamber. People of Staplehurst, the art of bellringing is your heritage. Keep it alive for future generations.  Back to Top
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