Update from the Belfry, St Mary’s, Leigh
The band of ringers at St Mary’s continue to be grateful to the PCC, the congregation, and residents of the wider community of Leigh for your support as we ring the bells to declare the presence of the church, to celebrate weddings in that church and remember the fallen of wars and conflict.
We rang St Mary’s bells on most Sundays, for Easter, Christmas and Remembrance Sunday. In the past year we also rang to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and to celebrate two weddings.
We have continued to join forces with ringers from nearby towers, rotating weekly practices between Chiddingstone, Edenbridge, Leigh, Penshurst and Withyham. Practices have usually been at Leigh on the 3rd Wednesday each month, with up to thirteen attending on each occasion. These merged practices give our ringers an opportunity to develop their skills while also supporting other bands and their learners across the district. While some are only just able to handle a bell without assistance, others have reached the dizzying heights of Cambridge, Beverley and Norwich Surprise Minor. While Penshurst bells are out of action for rehanging we plan to also hold practices at Leigh on the 1st Wednesday of each month.
In addition to the rotating practices, our ringers have helped teach ringers from Seal Chart, Cowden, Hever and Speldhurst. We also hosted an advanced surprise minor practice for 15 ringers from 9 towers across the Tonbridge district.
A visiting band rang a quarter-peal of Kent Treble Bob Minor for St George’s Day, but we failed with another attempt in August. Another visiting band rang a peal of 7 spliced surprise minor methods in January of this year. This involved 2 hours and 38 minutes of non-stop ringing – quite a feat of memory and stamina!
During the last twelve months we have continued to maintain the bells and their fittings. We have also wound and tended to the slightly temperamental clock. We owe a big thank you to the Churchwardens and PCC for your support throughout the year. Gillett & Johnston continue to maintain the clock and effected repairs when it refused to restart in December!
However, on occasion, holidays, shift patterns and other commitments have meant that our small band have not had sufficient manpower to ring every Sunday. Hence, we are keen to recruit and teach more local ringers.
Ringing is a fascinating and traditional activity which depends on co-ordination and timing, rather than strength or musical prowess. Ringers are a very welcoming group of people who span all social classes, ages and occupations in thousands of towers across the British Isles and even further afield.
If anyone in the parish aged between 12 and 102 would like to know more about the bells, the art of bellringing, or even learning to ring then please contact Dave James (01732 833938) or any of the other ringers. We would be delighted to show you what goes on up in the tower and perhaps teach you the intricacies of the art of Campanology.
Dave and Fran James
Bell Ringers