Long live bell ringing at St Buryan

Sam Bennetts

The following is written by Sam Bennetts who is learning to ring with her daughter Tegan for the Ringing Remembers campaign at St Buryan, which is at the tip of Cornwall. Read more learner’s stories here.

We are so pleased to be part of the Ringing Remembers campaign and happy to update you on our progress here. It all started when we went on an impromptu tour up our local bell tower at St Buryan church in deepest west Cornwall, where they were raising money for repairs. During this tour a lovely lady named Miranda asked if I’d ever thought about learning bell ringing, I hadn’t really but expressed interest, and later that week a note was left in my letterbox (I didn’t even know she knew where I lived by the way) inviting me to go along to a Friday night practise, so off I went…….😬……….

After getting over initial ‘nerves’ I haven’t looked back; not quite up to Sunday morning or wedding standard yet, but I know with practise and patience it will come (patience of course mostly needed by long suffering Tower Captain Chris Venn, and the rest of the Friday night ringing training crew).

Next came my 14 year old daughter who decided to ‘have a go’. She has also registered on the Ringing Remembers campaign and is now a Friday night regular, coincidentally this is a tick in the box for her Duke of Edinburgh award ‘learning a new skill’ section.

They’re a sociable lot also the Friday night crew here at St Buryan, this doesn’t just include the local inn across the road after practise either, outings have so far included an adventurous visit down a local tin mine, formal dinner, and current talk of a local foraging exertion all through ringer contacts. Cream teas (jam first) also happen, as one member was practising for a local bake off competition, and someone’s home made slow gin made it up the tower, getting consumed in old jam jars. All of this, and the good company of course, make the freezing drafty conditions during the winter months up a bell tower on a Friday night better somehow 😎 (not moaning honest Chris).

And finally I must say that taking up bell ringing has been one of the most positive things that I have done in ages and we are very proud to be part of the Ringing Remembers campaign here which has felt important to us. Long live bell ringing at St Buryan, its ringers and of course our 6 bells here with their heaviest peal in the world. A big thank you to the local residents of St Buryan to whom we are much indebted – no complaints yet since I started, and a special thanks to the Friday night ringing training crew namely Chris, Clare, Miranda and Ian. Kernow bys Vyken

The Ringing Remembers campaign is recruiting 1,400 new bell ringers in memory of the 1,400 who lost their lives in World War One. All new recruits will have once in a life time opportunity to ring on Armistice Day (11 November) this year to mark 100 years since the end of the war. Find out more about the campaign and signup by clicking here.

Posted 19 April 2018