Bellringers’ Report – April 2015

Contrary to popular belief our bellringers do not spend all their time at the end of a rope. We often undertake social activities together. In February we had our belated “Christmas” lunch and another such occasion was Saturday 7th March when we entered a Bellringers’ team in the Friends of All Saints’ ever popular Brain Game. We finished in 6th place from an entry of 11 teams.

Back to ringing and the following week we entered two bands in the Maidstone District Striking Competition at Ightham. This event came after the copy deadline for this issue, so let’s hope we have some good news to report in the May issue.

Looking to the future we have some additional ringing coming up in the next month. Firstly, on Easter Monday 6th April our bells will be available between10.30 and 11.15am for visiting ringers on their way to the Kent County Association’s AGM at neighbouring Marden. Then on Saturday 11th April we will be ringing for the first wedding of the summer.

On the following Saturday, 18th April, our ringers will be attempting to ring a peal, starting at 10am. A peal comprises approximately 3 hours of continuous ringing and is thus a challenge to both body and mind. If successful it will be the 100th such peal since the original bells were installed in 1885 and, as far as we are aware, the first ever by a band of Staplehurst’s own ringers.

On Saturday 2nd May we will have a visiting band attempting a quarter-peal (45 minutes’ continuous ringing) and then the following Monday we will be spending the Early Spring Bank Holiday on our annual outing, where we will be ringing at churches in Surrey and enjoying a pub lunch together.

In addition to the above we will of course be ringing for our regular Tuesday practice and the normal Sunday Services.