BELL RINGING
The initial peal of six new bells was installed at St. Giles during 2012. Two further bells were added during April 2021. The pre-existing fourth bell was removed and retuned. See panel to the right.
See Full Details
The band of St. Giles ringers, all novices when we started in October 2011, practised under the guidance of experienced local ringers.
The Tower Community at St. Giles includes the following:
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Tower Captain: Nick Wilkins Deputy Tower Captain::Lesley Barclay Secretary: Nick Wilkins Treasurer: Liz Brown Steeple Keeper: Lesley Barclay Ringers: Lesley Barclay, Oscar Brooks-Wilkins, Liz Brown, Julie Cox, Sam Cox, Emily Cunnane, Carol Fryer, Joadie Lovrencic. Alex Moore, Jacqui Moore, Megan Smith, Olivia Stanton, Helen Stockman, Nick Wilkins |
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Sunday service ringing 9.20-10.00am, practice alternate Mondays by arrangement and QPs/peals Tuesdays 11.00am by arrangement.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about bell ringing and/or would like to have a go they should contact Nick Wilkins on 01689 830844 nickwilkins36@gmail.com
See also Installing the St. Giles Bells.
Recent Peals and notable Quarter Peals rung at St. Giles
St Giles Tuesday, 30 January 2024 in 70m (3–1–18 in D)
2024 changes of Spliced Major (2m) 2016 changes of Cambridge Surprise and 8 changes of Little Bob (2 com) Composed by Paul M Atkins1 Jacqueline M Barlow 2 Lesley Barclay 3 Jane L Kostelnyk 4 J Richard Anthony 5 Anne M Anthony 6 Kath White 7 Janice Byrne 8 Nicholas Wilkins (C) |
We rang a ‘date touch’ where the number of changes in
the composition is carefully calculated to equal the year,
namely 2024 changes. This was longer than a normal quarter
peal and took 70 minutes. Celebrating the birth on 8th January of Finlay Edward Peter Wilkins, a son for James & Charlotte and grandson for Nick & Jenny Wilkins. |
Peal rung on Tuesday, 9 January 2024 in 2h 45
(3–1–18 in D) 5056 Rutland Surprise Major Composed by Stephen J Ivin| Celebrating the life of parishioner
Geoffrey A H Parson (1922-2023) on what would have been his
102nd birthday, and whose funeral was 10th January. Also Anne Taylor, loyal local ringer since installation of the bells at Farnborough, whose funeral was on 11th January. Click images to enlarge |
1 Stephanie J Pattenden 2 Nicholas Wilkins 3 Anne M Anthony 4 David R Finch 5 Peter J Joyce 6 Peter W Emery 7 James W Belshaw (C) 8 Stephen R T Pocock |
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Peal rung on Tuesday, 31 October 2023 in 2hrs 47mins
(Tenor 3–1–18 in D) 5184 Farnborough Surprise Major Composer J W Parker
| 1 E Lesley Barclay 2 Thomas F Lawrance (Conductor) 3 Stephen R T Pocock 4 Nicholas Wilkins 5 David Finch 6 Martin Turner 7 Peter J Joyce 8 Peter Emery 50th peal in the tower. |
On 31st October we achieved something very unusual. We
rang a full peal of a method called Farnborough Surprise
Major. The layman would term it a tune, but ringers call it
a ‘method’. Farnborough Surprise Major had only been pealed
twice previously - both at Farnborough, Hampshire. This also happens to be the 50th full peal in the tower since the original six bells were installed in 2012. |
Peal rung on Tuesday 29 August 2023 in 2h 58mins
(Tenor 3–1–18 in D) 5088 Lincolnshire Surprise Major
1 E Lesley Barclay 2 C Mark G Ockelton 3 Peter J Blight 4 Peter J Joyce 5 David Holdridge 6 Anne L Rueff 7 Ray Taylor 8 Nicholas Wilkins (Conductor) 100th peal Composed by C J Sedgley/W Barton |
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Peal rung on Tuesday, 13 June 2023 in 2hrs 41mins
(3–1–18 in D) 5008 Double Norwich Court Bob Major Composer: C J E Wyld
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1 Catherine M Lewis 2 Stephanie J Pattenden 3 Nicholas Wilkins 4 James W Belshaw 5 Ian H Oram 6 Peter J Blight 7 Peter J Joyce 8 Colin J E Wyld (Conductor) |
Rung in celebration and anticipation of the dedication of the two
new bells by Simon Burton-Jones, Bishop of Tonbridge on 18th June.
Peal rung on Tuesday, 6 June 2023 in 2hrs 44mins
(3–1–18 in D) 5184 Superlative Surprise Major S Jenner
| 1 Janice A Byrne 2 Nicholas Wilkins 3 Ian H Oram 4 Shirley E McGill 5 Anne M Anthony 6 Thomas F Lawrance 7 Peter J Blight 8 Stanley Jenner (C) Rung to celebrate the life of local resident Ernest Stanley Burrell (1921-2023) i |
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The peal was rung immediately prior to his funeral at St. Giles Farnborough, being also the 79th anniversary of D Day.
Ernest was awarded Legion d’honneur for bravery on D Day.
Peel rung on Tuesday, 11 April 2023 in 2hrs 25mins
(Tenor 3–1–18 in D) 5024 changes of Spliced Surprise Major
8 Methods: 736 London; 640 Cambridge, Pudsey, Superlative; 608
Bristol, Rutland; 572 Lincolnshire, Yorkshire; 132 changes of
method; all the work.
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Composition by N R Aspland 1 Nicholas Wilkins |
Celebrating Easter.
CONTACTS
Quarter Peal rung Tuesday 1st June 2021 in memory of Revd. Graham Shaw
This was the first quarter peal in the tower since augmentation to an octave, the new tenor being rung to a QP for the first time. However only six of the bells could be used, due to COVID restrictions governing the number of people allowed in a confine space.
This was rung in memory of Revd. Graham Shaw, 21.2.1944 - 21.4.2021, former Rector (1987-1995) and in the presence of Graham’s partner, Jorge Toro
(3–1–18 in D) 1260
Plain Bob Minor
1 Caroline A Stockmann
2 Jacqueline M Barlow
3 Michael J T Stuttard
4 Terence V Barnard
5 E Lesley Barclay
6 Nicholas Wilkins (C)
By way of explanation, the 1260 refers to the number of changes (different combinations rung on the bells) and Plain Bob Minor was the method (tune to the layman!). 3-1-18 is the weight of the new tenor bell in hundredweights, quarters and pounds and the new tenor note is D.
Caroline Stockmann of Sevenoaks, who rang bell number 1, kindly and generously contributed to the augmentation and her name, as well as her mother’s, is on the new tenor bell along with the names of other former parishioners. Caroline’s husband, Michael, who rang bell number 3 helped with the physical . augmentation works as did Lesley Barclay.
In fact, a number of current Parishioners listened to the ringing of the quarter peal and it was also the first quarter peal rung on the bells since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
We looked forward to the relaxation of restrictions so that eight people could mix indoors and we could then ring the newly augmented full octave.