Page 45 - BR September 2023 (1)

September 2023 September 2023
treble is the number 1 bell and starts off each time the bells are rung with a call
from the bellringer, “Treble’s going – Treble’s gone”. Jenny Clifford is also one of SPOTLIGHT ON ……..
the longest serving ringers. She has been ringing for twenty-three years and is the
main contact for the Bere Regis Bellringers if you are interested in joining them. ……. the Bellringers
Rather than simply going round and round in sequence 1,2,3,4,5,6, the order in In Bere Regis there are a number of
which the bells are rung changes. The Tower Captain, Adrian, calls the ‘Changes’, people who give their time and energies
that is which bells are going to change the order, for example “5-3; 2-5; 4-2”. This is to support and enrich the local
where the real skill comes into bell ringing. The bellringers must not only community and individuals who live here.
concentrate hard to hear and know which bell they must follow, but they must They contribute freely to the village either
control the speed of the bell they are ringing, either speed up or slow down to as individuals or as groups and teams.
keep in sequence. As Jill said, “You need to be able to control the bell; to wait
slightly or go slightly quicker; to get the balance of the bell without hitting the The parish magazine is running a regular
‘stay’, which stops the bell going right over”. series to “Spotlight” some of these and this month a team who everyone can hear
every week, our own bellringers at St John the Baptist, our local Bere Regis church.
Amanda Leigh and Steve Woolley both started bell ringing about three months
ago and are closely supervised by Adrian. They are working on getting the feel of I was kindly invited by the Tower Captain, Adrian Standfield to join the bellringers
bringing the bell to a point of balance, “The knack of keeping control of the bell.” in their practice session which happens every Wednesday evening between 6.30
Two other relatively new ringers are Malcolm Phillips who has been ringing for and 7.30. I was a bit apprehensive; would I manage the stairs; would I need ear
about 18 months and Sarah Ackerman who has been ringing for about 11 months. defenders? No, nothing to worry about, there are a manageable fifty stairs up to
Both looked like old pros to me! the ringing chamber in the church tower and the bellringers and ropes in the
chamber are well below the belfry, so it is not particularly noisy.
Moira Mathers, who has been ringing for about five years told me, “We are all
volunteers, but very self-interested volunteers because we enjoy it so much!” That The room is not large, it’s the size of the tower. On one side is the church clock
was certainly evident when I was visiting. mechanism. There is a high table in the centre and benches around the sides.
When I visited there were ten bellringers and Reverend Sandra, who was visiting
Adrian offers me a go. I am slightly concerned that I will be dragged up to the with two grandchildren. Safety is key in a bell chamber. When the bells are not
ceiling by 500 kilos of metal! But, I am quite safe. I take the end of the rope and being rung all the ropes are tied up so no one can trip and when the ringing starts,
Adrian looks after the ‘Sally’ (the furry, stripey bit). As he pulls and lets go of the everyone not actually with a bell rope must be seated and out of the way.
Sally, the bell swings down and rings, pulling the rope and my arms upwards, then
it ascends back to the ‘Up’ position, with the mouth of the bell upwards. The rope Bellringing is energetic and good exercise. Adrian has been a bellringer for sixty-
and Sally come down and Adrian expertly catches the Sally at exactly the right three years. “When I was a lad, you weren’t supposed to start until you were
spot to repeat the action. twelve, but my friend started and although I was only eleven, I managed to get
taken on too. I have been ringing ever since. Bellringers tend to go out ‘feet first’
Adrian calls “Stand” to indicate the end of each of the ‘changes’ that are being or when they can no longer manage the stairs!”
practised and then as 7.30 approaches he calls for the sequence that will bring all
the bells to the ‘Down’ position, which is regarded the safest and best way to rest The Church of St John the Baptist has six bells. The oldest is dated 1602, it is the
them when not in use. Listen out next Wednesday evening at about 7.25pm, it is a number 4 bell. Terry Kent, who has been ringing for thirteen years tends to ring the
very distinctive sound. heaviest bell, the tenor, number 6, which weighs 889 kilos, almost a metric ton and
was cast in 1698. “You don’t need to have great strength, but it helps when
St John the Baptist’s bells ring for services, weddings, funerals and special handling the larger bells.” The tenor bell is also the one you can hear chiming
occasions, They rang half muffled for the death of the late Queen and will ring in mechanically on the hour for the church clock.
the New Year on 31 December.
st
The lightest bell, the treble is the newest, dated 1919 and is a mere 332 kilos. The
“People in Bere Regis might go to the church or take part in other local events or, bellringers swap around taking turns on different bells during the practice to get a
they might not. But everyone can hear the bells ringing! It makes everyone a part feel for each one. “As well as the weight, they all feel slightly different.” When I
of the community!” visited, the treble was being rung by Jill Marsden, who has been ringing for ten

(Adrian Standfield, Tower Captain, The Church of St John the Baptist, Bere Regis) years and also by Jon Cleave who has been ringing for twenty-one years. The

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