Bell Ringing at All Saints Church Staplehurst
Contact Details
| Name | Office | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sue Bassett | Tower Captain | (01580) 891917 | |
| Ann Fulcher | Assistant Tower Captain | N/A | |
| Daniel Brady | Ringing Master | N/A | N/A |
| Roy Barclay | Tower Secretary | (01580) 890247 | |
| Sallyann Barclay | Treasurer | (01580) 890247 | N/A |
| Chris Bassett | Steeple Keeper | (01580) 891917 |
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Ringing Report - February 2012
We start this report with the sad news that Betty Tomlin passed away during December, less than a year after her sister Freda. Betty had been a loyal and active ringer at Staplehurst for many years, until her health prevented her from climbing the stairs to the tower a few years ago. We were honoured to ring for her funeral service on Tuesday 10th January. May she rest in peace.
All in all January was a rather quiet month for the Staplehurst ringers, following the busy lead up to Christmas, although we did ring for the Epiphany High Mass on 6th January.
We also had an interesting practice night at the beginning of January when we welcomed a couple of young people who have been learning to ring at neighbouring Frittenden. Along with our own three youngsters - Jack, Roddy and Seb - there were five pre-teen ringers at the practice and they all got on well together. This is indeed a promising sign for the future.
We will be ringing for the Candlemas service on Thursday 2nd February and we are also hosting a training day for the Maidstone District on Saturday 11th February when the bells will be ringing for about an hour or so in the early afternoon, finishing by 3.00pm. That apart we will be ringing on our normal Tuesday practice evening and for the regular Sunday Services.
Tower Secretary
Roy Barclay
(01580) 890247
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What's Going On Up In That Tower ?
As you walk up the path to church on a Sunday morning you are welcomed by the sound of the bells. Staplehurst bells have rung out for almost every service for the last 200 years and most people probably take them for granted. Unlike the choir, for example, our ringers go about their work unseen, though not unheard. So what goes on up in the tower? This article looks at the mystical world of bellringing.Perhaps the first point to make is that you don't have to be musical to be a ringer. Unlike singing or playing an instrument, where you have to accurately achieve a range of notes, each ringer is only ringing one bell which is tuned to a particular note. Therefore, provided you have a reasonable sense of rhythm and can ring your bell in the right place (which comes with practice), you could become a ringer. Secondly you don't need bulging biceps. Bellringing is a question of technique rather than strength and anyone who is reasonably fit should have no problem.
The number of bells a church has can vary, generally between 5 and 12. Here at Staplehurst we have 10 bells and the “tunes” we ring on a Sunday are achieved by changing the order in which the bells are rung. There are 3,628,800 different combinations possible on our ten bells and to ring all of them would take nearly six years of continuous ringing. Don't worry; we don't intend to do that. However on special occasions we sometimes ring continuously for 3 hours. This is called a peal and we rang one recently for Gill's farewell.
So what about those stalwarts who ring our bells every Sunday? We currently have 25 active ringers in our band, making it one of the largest resident bands in Kent. Most of our ringers actually live in the village and several are involved in other activities within the church or the village. Our youngest ringer is just ten years old and our oldest; well let's just say he has been retired for some time. We are fortunate that our band also includes some promising young ringers which is encouraging for the future. As well as students our band includes people from the world of banking and commerce, health service workers, teachers, our Parish Clerk and a fair number of retirees.
Well, I hear you ask, is there more to life than just pulling a rope early on a Sunday morning! Indeed there is. Once a month we meet up with ringers from the other 30 or so churches in the Maidstone District which have bells. The different churches take it in turn to host these events, so it gives ringers a chance to ring on bells other than their own. Twice a year we have ringing competitions, the most recent of which we won. Like most hobbies ringing also has its social side. We nearly always adjourn to The Bell to quench our thirst after our Tuesday evening practice. Each summer we have an outing where we spend a day ringing at churches in another part of the south east and of course enjoying a pub lunch. Some of our more fanatical ringers even go on ringing holidays. Add to that Barn Dances, Quiz Evenings and Barbecues and you can see why ringing can easily become a way of life!
I hope this has given you an insight into what ringing at Staplehurst is all about. If it has whetted your appetite why not pop up to the tower on our Tuesday practice night from 7.30pm onwards to find out more. But be warned - bellringing can become addictive!
Roy Barclay
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Ringing Times
Usual ringing times are 7.30 - 9.15 p.m. on Tuesdays for practices and on Sundays at 9.15 - 10.00 a.m. and 5.45 - 6.30 p.m. prior to services.Anyone interested in learning more about ringing may visit the tower on our Tuesday evening practice.
Contact Chris & Sue Bassett on (01580) 891917 or Email Chris and Sue
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Staplehurst Tower - Details
- 10 bells
- Tenor 19-2-7 in Eb (994 Kg) Bell Weights & Inscriptions
- We are one of the largest Ringing Bands in Kent Staplehurst Ringers
- Postcode: TN12 0AX
- Grid Ref: TQ786429
- For Sat Nav:
Lat: 51:09:29N (51.15808)
Lon: 00:33:10E (00.55266) - Maidstone District of the KCACR
- Frame: 1996 Whitechapel
- Retuning: Whitechapel 1996
- Upstairs Ringing Room
- All Saints' boasts a 10 bell ringing simulator. Email: for information or to arrange a simulator practice
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Virtual Tour of the Tower and Belfry
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The Belfry Prayer
We beseech Thee, O Heavenly Father, to pour Thy grace into the hearts of those who work for Thee in ringing the bells of the Church. Grant that we may never forget the sacredness of Thy House, nor profane it by thoughtlessness or irreverence, but make us ever mindful that, when we ring the bells, we ring for Thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ Our Lord.Back to Top
Bell related links
- Maidstone District Web Site
- Maidstone District Quarterly Electronic BELFRY
- The Dickon Love Staplehurst Page
- The Kent County Association of Change Ringers (KCACR)
- List of All Peals ever rung at Staplehurst
- County Quarter Peal Database
- Central Council of Church Bell Ringers
- Change Ringing Resources
- The Ringing World Online
- www.campanophile.co.uk
