Staplehurst Bellringers Report October 2021As those who read this column regularly will know, our philosophy is to encourage the next generation of ringers who will take over from us when we become too old to ring. As part of this we regularly welcome the Kent Young Ringers to practice together (under adult supervision) on our bells. That practice bore fruit in a big way on Saturday 11th September when the Kent Young Ringers won the National Youth Ringing Contest in Worcester. This is t...

Staplehurst Bellringers Report July 2021Tuesday 18th May was a wonderful day for the Staplehurst Bellringers, and we hope, for the whole village. After 15 months of enforced silence due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the bells rang out once more for our practice not, albeit with only six ringers and for only 45 minutes. Then on the following Sunday, they rang out again to welcome people to the morning service for the first time since 15th March last year.Although the bells have not be...

Staplehurst Bellringers Report May 2021It is now more than a year since we had to cease ringing due to the Coronavirus pandemic and contact with each other has been limited to our weekly Zoom meetings or occasionally passing each other in the street. Various members of the band have, however, managed to chime three bells at Christmas, toll one bell on 23rd March to commemorate those lives lost during the pandemic, and most recently toll one bell half-muffled for the death of HRH the Duk...

Staplehurst Bellringers Report December 2020The optimism of my report in last month’s issue was sadly ill-conceived. Even before that issue hit the streets the Government had announced another month of national lockdown, resulting in the cancellation of all Remembrance Sunday services together with parades and other public acts of remembrance. As I write this report coronavirus cases are still rising rapidly across the country and, barring miracles, we will not be ringing the church bel...