Category: Monthly Reports

August is generally a quiet month for church activities, with many people being away enjoying their summer holidays. Ringing is no exception and there is thus little to report this month. However we did have one happy occasion when we rang for the wedding of Catherine Marks who was a member of the Staplehurst band until she went to university. We were pleased to welcome a number of Catherine’s university ringing friends who joined us to ring before and after the wedding service. We wish Catherine and husband Richard well for the future.

Looking to the future there are no more weddings this summer requiring bells, so during September we will just be ringing for the usual Sunday services and our normal Tuesday evening practices.

Visiting Us

All Saints Church Website (External link)

In last month’s Magazine I reported that the Staplehurst bellringers would be entering a band in the Maidstone District ringing contest at Stansted.

The article was necessarily written before the event, and I am sorry to say that the event did not take place, due to the fact that we were the only tower that entered a band. We had won this competition for the previous two years so perhaps other towers were too scared to challenge us!

However the District Barbeque at Marden two weeks later did go ahead and our ringers were there in force. The weather forecast was ominous, but turned out to be mainly fine with just one short shower and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

On Saturday 2nd August we will be ringing for the wedding of Catherine Marks, daughter of Maggie Marks, both former Staplehurst ringers. We have no other weddings requiring bells during August, nor do we have any visiting bands scheduled for the month. However we will, of course, be ringing on our normal Tuesday practice evening and for the regular Sunday Services during August.

Visiting Us

On Saturday 14th June Staplehurst bellringers entered a band in the Maidstone District ringing contest, held at the attractively situated church at Stansted nestling in the North Downs. Two weeks later on 28th June a number of our ringers attended a District Barbeque at Marden. Both events took place after the copy date for the July magazine, but we will have reports on both in the August issue.

After several years when Staplehurst was a popular venue for weddings, this year we have very few and none at all during July for which the couple have requested bells. Neither have we any visiting bands scheduled for July. However we will, of course, be ringing on our normal Tuesday practice evening and for the regular Sunday Services during July.

On Saturday 10th May twenty-three of our ringers and friends enjoyed their annual outing, during which they rang at six churches around the Braintree area of Essex and enjoyed the usual pub lunch.

On Saturday 24th May it was our turn to play host when we welcomed visiting ringers from around the world who were at Maidstone for the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers’ annual meeting.

This meeting takes place in a different county each year (and sometimes abroad), so it really was a once in a lifetime event for us here in Kent.

During May we also rang for the Ascension Day High Mass.

On Saturday 14th June we will be ringing for a 2.00pm wedding before hot footing it over to Stansted where we will be entering a band in the Maidstone District ringing contest. Staplehurst has won this trophy for the last two years so we will be aiming for a hat trick of wins this year. Two weeks later our ringers are again likely to be out in force at the District Barbeque at Marden. Let’s hope the weather has improved by then!

Perhaps surprisingly, we have no further weddings during June, nor do we have any visiting bands of ringers scheduled to ring our bells. Apart from the wedding mentioned above, we will therefore just be ringing on our normal Tuesday practice evening and for the regular Sunday Services during June.