Blog

It’s been a busy few months:

Our Kent Young Ringers managed just a few practices all together this year, but have improved enormously in the time available.

We travelled to Bushey in Hertfordshire for this year’s South East England contest at the beginning of April. This was  a lovely, sunny spring day where we rang at 3 towers as well as the contest tower at Bushey.  Breakfast and carrots featured, of course! Our young ringers enjoy keeping up some traditions. The team rang their best yet and were placed 3rd.

Results:

1st – W & P – peal speed 3 hr 9 ( plain hunt on 7)

2nd – Young@Herts – peal speed 3 hr 13 (Call Changes on 8)

3rd – Kent – peal speed – 2 hr 46 ( CC on 8)

4th – Essex – peal speed 3 hr 3 ( CC on 8)

5th – Sussex – peal speed 2 hr 51 ( CC on 6)

6th – Middlesex – peal speed 2 hr 43 ( CC on 6)

7th – Bucks & Berks – peal speed 3 hr 5 ( CC on 8)

8th – Surrey – peal speed 2 hr 51 ( CC on 6)

Fast forward to 6th July after a few more practices. This turned out to be a chilly, windy and pretty wet sort of day, with the sun only appearing in the evening! However we were not to be daunted and enjoyed a fabulous day organised by the ASCY and the Ringing World in London with a record number of 37 teams entering and over 300 young ringers enjoying the delights of ringing in London towers. The day culminated in a grand photo on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral with the results ceremony under the spectacular Dome.

We had started off early in the morning in sunshine or in rain from various distant locations in Kent (Whitstable and Benenden being the furthest), meeting up with other team members as our trains got nearer to London. Most of us could walk from Cannon Street to St Mary le Bow, but the north Kent contingent had to brave the Underground, too.

Breakfast (warm sausages and pastries) started us off in the porch at Bow. We then started our programme for the day: viewing the stalls, and having a go on the mini – rings and handbells before climbing the tower steps to ring here at St Mary le Bow, joining with 3 or 4 other teams. On then to St Giles Cripplegate where we were fortunate to be on our own for most of our allotted time and allowing us a little practice of our test piece. Lunch was next: up in the Roof Garden at 120 Fenchurch Street: a bit windy here, but the rain did hold off and Cathy Booth was able to do a couple of interviews for September’s Fun with Bells podcast. After a quick sprint to nearby St Olave’s Hart Street, and a “good luck” video call from last year’s team captain, Ellen, our team climbed the steps to ring our contest piece (the best they have ever rung ). After the team photos we retraced our steps to St Lawrence Jewry and then St Magnus the Martyr for our final ring of the day. Although this ringing room was VERY crowded everyone had a good ring, with Callum, George, Hannah, Lily and Oscar getting a chance to ring PH 11.

Orange Oscar kept an eye on us throughout the day and can be seen on the far left of the front row of the (huge) group photo on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral. We had amazing front row seats under the Dome of St Paul’s Cathedral for the results ceremony, led by head judge, Tom Hinks. Many congratulations to Worcester Cathedral for their win in our Call Change category (13 teams).. All results in the photos and on Bellboard.

KYR were fabulous (as always) on a fabulous day, rounded off by the bells of St Paul’s being rung as we came out of the cathedral for pizza and home. See next week’s edition of the Ringing World for further reports.

Thank you to all those towers where we have held practices and to the continued support, financial and otherwise, of the KCACR.

Over 300 young ringers from all over Britain gathered on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral

Team Shirts 2024

NOT a warm and sunny July day!

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