Staplehurst Bellringers Report August 2025

NEWS FROM THE TOWER

As reported in the July magazine the Kent Young Ringers used our bells to practise for the National Youth Ringing Contest in Birmingham. A valiant effort saw them finish 5th in their category in a contest which featured 35 teams in total. Nevertheless, they all had a good time according to one of the band who visited our practice evening a few days later. Meanwhile Adam Brady rang for the Ancient Society of College Youths in the prestigious National 12-bell Contest in Bristol on 28th June but they too couldn’t do quite enough to take the winner’s trophy.

With many ringers on holiday during August it looks like being a quiet month (no pun intended!) with just ringing for our regular Tuesday practice and for Sunday services.

If you think all this sounds rather fun why not pop up to Staplehurst tower during our weekly practices on Tuesday between 7.30 and 9.15pm and see what it’s all about? You could end up with a sociable new hobby that you had never dreamed of.

Roy Barclay

Tower Secretary

Visiting Us

All Saints Church Website (Opens in new tab)

Staplehurst Bellringers Report July 2025

NEWS FROM THE TOWER

We are now in high summer, a time when many ringers go on outings to other areas to ring on bells often very different from their own. Staplehurst ringers are no exception and on Saturday 28th June, together with ringers from Marden, we enjoyed a day out in North Kent ringing at six towers, including the newly restored and augmented bells at Faversham. As is traditional for bell ringers we enjoyed an excellent lunch at the (strangely-named) Gunpowder Mill pub in Faversham. Our thanks to Chris Bassett for organising this year’s outing.

One of our ringers was unable to join us on the outing for a very good reason. Adam Brady was ringing in the National 12-bell Competition that day at St Mary Redcliffe Church in Bristol. This prestigious event features some of the best bell ringers in the country and we will let you know in next month’s issue how his band fared.

Just as we have an outing to other towers, ringers from elsewhere occasionally visit us as part of their summer outing. On Saturday 19th July we will be pleased to welcome a band from Wittersham and Tenterden, who will be ringing our bells from 3.45 – 4.30pm.

If you think all this sounds rather fun why not pop up to Staplehurst tower during our weekly practices on Tuesday between 7.30 – 9.15pm and see what it’s all about? You could end up with a sociable new hobby that you had never dreamed of.

Roy Barclay

Tower Secretary

Visiting Us

All Saints Church Website (Opens in new tab)

NEWS FROM THE TOWER

As well as ringing for Sunday Services our bells are occasionally rung for other reasons.  One such occasion was on Thursday 8^th May when we rang to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of VE day.  Appropriately we rang during the lighting of the beacon on Surrenden Field, a symbol of hope and peace for the future.

Sometimes even the Services we ring for are at times other than Sunday. Ascension Day always falls on Thursday (it being 40 days after Easter) and this year it included an act of thanksgiving for the restoration of the tower.  Representatives of those involved in the project joined the Rector on the tower roof for a blessing before the service.  We were not, of course, ringing the bells while they were up there!

On 18^th May we celebrated Bell Sunday, a day where the contribution of bells and bellringers to the life of the Church is recognised. Our ringers took an active part in the Morning Communion Service, and it was particularly pleasing to hear Florence, one of our younger ringers, read the epistle. Roy Barclay led the prayers, Daniel Brady played the organ and, in place of the sermon, Steve Bassett gave an interesting talk on bell ringing. Several others of our ringers also attended the service.

Looking forward, on Sunday 8^th June we will be ringing for the 3pm Confirmation Service so the bells will, exceptionally, be rung both morning and afternoon on that day.

Finally on Saturday 28^th June from 1.30 – 4.30pm the Kent Young Ringers will be using our bells to practise for their national youth ringing competition.  We wish them luck and will let you know next month how they got on.

Roy Barclay

Tower Secretary

Visiting Us

All Saints Church Website (Opens in new tab)

Staplehurst Bellringers Report May 2025

NEWS FROM THE TOWER

Following several fairly quiet months May looks to be much busier for the Staplehurst ringers.  We start on Thursday 8^th May when, along with other churches throughout the country, we will be ringing to mark the 80^th anniversary of VE Day.  We hope to be able to ring for the 2.45pm commemoration service (although because it is during the working day and in term time this may not be possible) and again from approximately 8 – 9pm for the lighting of the beacon on Surrenden Field.

On Saturday 10^th May we will be holding a ringers’ training day, but this will utilise the simulator so there will be no sound outside the church. Then on May 18^th we will be celebrating the annual Bell Sunday – a day where the contribution of bells and bellringers to the life of the Church is recognised.  We hope that some of our ringers will be involved in the service, but details have yet to be decided.  Finally on Thursday 29^th May we will be ringing for the 6.30pm Ascension Day Service which also includes a thanksgiving for completion of the restoration work on the tower, something for which our ringers are particularly grateful.  

Other than this we will be ringing for the usual Sunday Services and our normal Tuesday practice. We always try to give notice in the Magazine of any additional ringing, but because of copy deadlines this is not always possible when ringing is arranged at short notice.

Finally, the peal on Saturday 12^th April to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Sue Bassett learning to ring was successfully accomplished, and the band also included five other Staplehurst ringers.  Thank you Sue for all you have done, and continue to do, for bell ringing at Staplehurst.

Roy Barclay

Tower Secretary

Visiting Us

All Saints Church Website (Opens in new tab)