Church Bells. We've grown accustomed to hearing them. Many of us had bells at our wedding. And many more have appreciated their timeless sound at times of victory, commemoration, New year and many other times of celebration.
I’m Kev Lee, Captain of bells at St Peter and St Paul, Hambledon. A beautiful ancient church in the heart of the village with a ring of six bells, three of which have been rung since 1749. They rang for Waterloo, Trafalgar and VE Day. They rang for Queen Victoria’s and King Charles III coronations, and all coronations in between.
One person to a rope we need six to ring the circle. And that is increasingly becoming a problem. We urgently need more ringers.
So let’s dispel some myths.
- You do not have to be religious. It is a secular activity. Everyone is welcome.
- You don't need to be physically strong. Once proficient, many bells are rung with not much more than finger tip control.
- And if you ever thought it was just pulling a rope, you've been misinformed. There’s so much more to it. Always something new to learn.
If you think you might be interested, the first step is to visit a tower and see the fun we have. If you want to, climb to the belfry and see the bells. Have a first try. And if you want to develop further, that’s easily arranged. Full training is given in rope handling. And in a few short weeks you'll be ringing with the band. Ringing the changes and much more.
At Hambledon we practice on Thursday evenings, 7:30 to 9pm.
If you think you might be interested, come along for a taster session. We’d love to meet you. Telephone or email either myself or our Secretary Debbie. Be assured of a warm welcome. Make use of these dark evenings by learning a new skill. It's fun.
Kev. 07391 264231 kglee@sky.com
Debbie: debbie.morey@hotmail.co.uk