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Who are we?
- Incumbent: Reverend Michael Jones
- Tower Captain:
Phil Stephens
- Ringing
Master: Christina Brewster
- Tower
Correspondent/Secretary: John Robinson
- Treasurer: Andrew Brewster
- Steeplekeeper:
Roger
Bailey
- Archivist:
Andrew Brewster
Contact Phil Stephens
Tel: +44 (0)1245 421022 or
Andrew Brewster
Tel: +44 (0)1245 420648 or by
email, for more details.
The tower is affiliated to the Essex Association of Change Ringers. We
are an active and keen band of ringers, the majority of whom live in the village. We
currently have 20 ringers who are members of the Association, one of which is also
a member of the Society of Royal
Cumberland Youths. We are a sociable crowd and often meet together outside ringing
times to participate in Association, District, village and Church activities.
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Other
members of the band
Anne Bailey, Sarah
Brewster, Peter Brisley, Carol Brown, Laurie and Martin Cansdale, Andy Champ, Joy
Madigan, Chris
Newton and
Trish Stephens.
We also have a number
of learners who have begun to ring on a Practice Night and for Sunday
Service.
We also get regular visitors:
Peter Eves (Chelmsford Cathedral), Jim Towler (Inworth), Sue Page (Terling),
John Macefield and Sue and Tony Spurgeon (Danbury) and Cecile Cross (Gt Baddow) as well as other
occasional visitors from local towers.
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| Some of the
ringers and friends outside The White Horse, Kings Sutton on our 2007
weekend away to Oxfordshire |
Tower Activities
- AGM (Officers’ reports and elections,
dates for outings and social events) - January
- Ring and ramble (3 or 4 towers and pub lunch)
- April
- Tower barbecue - June
- Weekend away - June/July
- Annual coach outing - September/October
- Christmas social - December
We normally attempt a quarter peal for
evening Service on 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. There has been 13 so
far in 2007 (8 in 2006). Peals are currently restricted to 2 per year (peal fee
for local ringers per rope is £3). The tower is situated in the centre
of the village and is fitted with some elementary sound control. Peals normally take place
on Saturday mornings, beginning at about 9.00am. To date there has been 4
peals on the new bells and there were 160 peals
rung on the old bells.
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Present
Standards
On practice nights, our repertoire
extends from rounds and call changes, Plain Hunt, Plain Bob, Grandsire, Stedman, Little
Bob, Cambridge, Yorkshire, Superlative (and CYS spliced) and Rutland.
On Sundays we normally ring rounds
and call changes, Plain Bob, Grandsire and Stedman. Visitors are always welcome, whether
they be non-ringers curious to see what goes on, or experienced ringers.
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Achievements
The band have entered the
District Striking Competition and Call-Change Competitions since 1994.
| Year |
District Striking Competition |
Essex
Association Striking Competition |
District Call-Change Competition |
| 2007 |
2nd |
7th |
No competition |
| 2006 |
Did not
compete |
Did not
compete |
No competition |
| 2005 |
Did not
compete |
Did not
compete |
No competition |
| 2004 |
Received a bye |
Did not
compete |
No competition |
| 2003 |
2nd |
Did not
complete |
No competition |
| 2002 |
1st |
8th |
2nd |
| 2001 |
2nd |
6th |
3rd |
| 2000 |
Band A 2nd, Band B 5th |
Did not
complete |
8th |
| 1999 |
2nd |
7th |
5th |
| 1998 |
3rd |
Did not
qualify |
2nd |
| 1997 |
3rd |
Did not
qualify |
4th |
| 1996 |
Failed to complete touch |
Did not
qualify |
1st |
| 1995 |
Failed to complete touch |
Did not
qualify |
2nd |
| 1994 |
5th |
Did not
qualify |
4th |
In 1999, we came second in the
District heats of the 6-Bell competition ringing Grandsire Doubles. We went on to
the Essex 6-bell Finals for the first time ever, where we came seventh out of eleven
bands. Later that day, two of our ringers represented the District in the 8-Bell
competition, coming first.
At the 6-Bell finals in 2000,
held at our own tower on 1 July, we did not complete the touch. In the 8-Bell
competition two of our ringers represented the District, which again came first.
In 2001, we came second in the
District heat of the 6-Bell competition and went on to the finals for the third time
ever at Bentley Common on Saturday 7 July, where we finished sixth. In the 8-Bell
competition two of our ringers again represented the District, which completed a
hat-trick of wins.
In 2002, we came
first in the District heat of the 6-Bell Competition and went on to the finals at
Steeple Bumpstead for the fourth year in succession where we finished a
disappointing eighth. In the 8-Bell
competition two of our ringers again represented the District, which completed
four wins in a row.
In 2003, we came
second in the District heat of the 6-Bell Competition and went on to the finals at
Havering-atte-Bower for the fifth year in succession where we failed to complete
our piece of ringing.
Only 2 teams entered the District
heat in 2004, ourselves and Chelmsford Cathedral. We therefore qualified
automatically for the finals at Tendring. Unfortunately we could not raise a
band on the day and had to forfeit our place in the finals.
In 2007 we came second in the
District heat at Purleigh and went on to come 7th in the Finals held at Orsett.
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Learning
to Ring
New learners are always welcome.
It doesn't matter whether you are aged 10 or 80 or anything in between, you
could learn to ring although like anything the older you are the longer it
takes! While there is no upper age limit, you must be at least
10 years old to start to learn.
New learners normally come to one of
our practices to meet our ringers and see what is involved, and this would then be
followed by individual sessions on a silenced bell. This will usually take place on
another night.
Once sufficient bell control has
been achieved, a learner may then join our practice night. See also Learning to Ring.
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