St Giles Nether Whitacre Bellringers

New Year 2022

1/1/2022

We last rang the new year celebration back in 2019 but then only managed to ring five and have not rung it properly since 2018. This year we met with a few more than we needed to ring the old year out half muffled and then ring 2022 in with open bells. We missed Ian and Jane who are now based elsewhere and remembered David and Dick (who no doubt heard us from the churchyard) and both would of approved of the nice touch of Plain Bob Doubles that welcomed the New Year in.

Happy New Year to all.

Mike, Steve, Xavier, Quentin, Hazel, Helen and Roy rang this evening

Christmas Eve service

24/12/2021

We rang five bells for the midnight Christmas Eve Communion service for the first time since the pandemic hit. It is a lovely time to ring being so late at night and certainly makes the welcome noise to open the Christmas period. Happy Christmas to all.

Remembrance

14/11/2021

Bugle player Peter Tonks

The bells rang out half muffled for the service of Remembrance on Sunday 15th November. There sombre sound ushered all to church to listen to Peter, the bugle player, call us to our memorial silence. All the four parishes read the names of all the fallen from both world wars and then wreaths were laid.

Dick Dale memorial service

10/10/2021

The ringers rang the bells for the Dick Dale memorial service. The service reminded us what a kind gentleman Dick was with plenty of reminders of his wry sense of humour. Refreshments afterwards allowed more memories to be shared. The order of service contained some lovely photographic reminders of both Dick and his beloved wife Mary.

First practice

29/7/2021

Our first practice tonight for over eighteen months, ready for a wedding on Saturday. We rang some call changes and then even managed some Plain Bob Doubles. We had a bit of sweep up of the floor of all the spiders and dead flies to make the ringing room a little more habitable.

Sunday service ring

25/7/2021

Church services with the bells calling all to worship are distant memories to the village at the moment but today the bells were back. For the first service since COVID regulations dictated the bells welcomed our congregation into the church today and practices have been arranged from the Thursday July 29th 2021.

Shustoke details added

4/7/2021

With a wedding to ring at yesterday it was realised that the majority of the ringing at Shustoke is now undertaken by the same group of parish wide ringers. In light of this, a section of this website is now being developed to show the history and achievements completed on these interesting bells. All of our parish wide bells are very different and memorable!

HRH Prince Phillip - Duke of Edinburgh

10/4/2021

The bells were rung at midday on April 10th 2021 for ten minutes half muffled to commemorate the life of HRH Prince Phillip who passed away yesterday aged 99. The country had been asked to mark the occasion with ninety nine tolls or ringing but as we had a large family bubble we were able to ring in a COVID safe manner, missing the fifth out.

This was the first time the bells had been rung since lockdown started back in March 2020

Treble Quentin Howell
2nd Quentin Howell
3rd Xavier Howell
4th Helen Howell

Tenor Mike Miller

Parish bells ring out

23/3/2021

A bell in each of the parish churches rang out today to mark the anniversary of the first COVID lockddown and to commemorate those who have lost their lives due to the pandemic. Thanks to Sharon at Over Whitacre, Roy at Shustoke, Mike at Nether Whitacre and Steve at Lea Marston for ringing at 12.01 just after midday.

RIP Dick Dale

26/11/2020

Regretfully for our band, Dick Dale has passed away on Friday 13th Novemeber in his 90th year, after a short period in George Elliot hospital. Dick has been a member of our band since the installation of the bells in 1977 but had learnt at Shustoke beforehand. He was actively ringing with the band right up till the beginning of lockdown and celebrated his 90th birthday in August. His funeral will be on Tues 1st December with a simple graveside burial. Mourners are asked to socially distance line the road between his home and the church entrance only.

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