Our tower is home to a unique training course for young ringers, called 'Let's Ring! It has been very successful at recruiting and training youngsters, and news about the course has reached far and wide.
Kids’ Workshop a Ringing Success at All Saints’ Stone by Catherine White-Horne, November 2024
Once again, All Saints’ Stone opens its doors to welcome young trainee bell ringers eager to improve their skills and master this ancient art.
Jeremy Sargent and Catherine White-Horne where ready with a bespoke quiz, pens and paper, a packet of chocolate biscuits and with our trusty bells silenced on this occasion. Our four students, aged between 6 and 11, bright eyed and keen were quickly bustling up our narrow spiral stairs to our cosy ringing chamber.
The main focus of the day was a concerted session to work on the rope and bell control skills we have already taught these youngsters. The kids made demonstrable progress during the day, building up their confidence and bringing them a big step closer to joining our established ringers on practice nights and for service ringing.
In addition, there was plenty of chatter as stories, sweets and chocolate biscuits were generously shared to keep energy levels up. Our All Saints’ Bells Quiz provided a change of tempo and much running around to count steps, admire golden weather vanes and much more.
Before we were ready to finish the clock hands were telling us it was time to leave and we were lowering our trusty bells leaving them safe and sound until we return for our regular Monday practice.
Many thanks to Jeremy for always being ready to welcome and teach our ever changing clutch of young ringers. Thanks to everyone who makes the church and tower available. Thanks also to our kids’ dedicated parents for their chauffeur duties and their encouragement at all times. With all of your support we are able to pursue this important task of training young recruits and so securing our ringing future.
Onwards and upwards!
Catherine White-Horne Let’s Ring!
All Saints’ tower hosts ringing lessons in August 2022
Top row: Pupils Ruby & Sophie, Zoe (helper), pupil Josh, Will (helper), Ben (teacher) Bottom row: pupil Will, Catherine (teacher & Let's Ring dynamo), pupil Oliver. (Everybody here learned to ring in All Saints' tower!)
Every day from Monday 8th August to Friday, between 10 and 12 am, Stone’s bells were sounding. Rather randomly, not very musically. That’s because we were teaching five youngsters, ages 11 and 12, to ring from scratch. 'Let’s Ring!' was conceived in 2017. Its aim was to use our six light bells at All Saints’ to teach young ringers how to handle a bell, no trivial thing, before moving them on to the heavier ring of eight at St Mary’s, Thornbury. The aim remains the same today. Let’s Ring! 2 & 3 followed in 2018 and 2019, and were amply reported in the bellringing publication 'Ringing World’. Covid-19 caused us to suspend Let’s Ring! in 2020. Now, a week into ‘Let’s Ring! 4’: all five Thornbury-based pupils have 'half-rung' their bell among a band of six, assisted by their teacher. They have been introduced to the physical ringing elements: hand-stroke, back-stroke, how to tie the tail, and ringing room conduct. We anticipate their being able to ring ’solo’ after another session or two. While not ringing, and between biscuits, they were introduced to the hardware inside the bell tower, some basic ringing theory and ringers’ special terminology - including how to call the bells to ring in different orders. Now that we are up-and-running again, we would welcome the opportunity to teach anyone, age 11+, particularly from our own benefice! [Apply to Jeremy Sargent (Tower Captain) - 01454 260376]
From the left: Charlie (visitor), Richard, Alistair, Jiahan, Zoe (with North, the penguin) and Lydia, after having rung Plain Bob Minor on Monday 17th February 2020
The bell-ringing team, just before successfully completing 'Norwich Surprise Minor' on 21st December 2019