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