Tower Captain
Clare Le Marie
Welcome to our St Michaels community of bellringers.
We are an intergenerational community
enjoying the privilege of ringing St Michael's bells.
We take turns and gather weekly in the belfry
to practice bellringing and keep the bells alive.
We also gather socially throughout the year enjoying each others company.
Did you know that Campanology is the study of bells?
Here at St Michaels, Aldershot we have a thriving team, but we need more ringers to keep the numbers up. Each time you hear the bells ringing on Sunday or for special occasions such as the recent Queen’s funeral and for the Coronation of King Charles III, there will be a team of either 8 or at least 6 ringers.
Anyone from the age of about 10 – 70 can learn to ring. It does not require huge strength or mega muscles, rather an awareness of touch, feel and smoothness on the rope. The skills of ringing a bell are taught on a one-to-one basis in steady steps, until the pupil can control a bell on their own. They are then ready to join the team and learn how to ring as part of a band. Rather like joining an orchestra. There is never any charge for the tuition – all we ask is some commitment to learning and joining the band.
Most churches have a regular weekly practice during the week and then ring on a Sunday for services. There is also a need for wedding and occasional funeral ringing and, of course, to ring the New Year in each year.
It takes anything from a few hours tuition to learn to handle a bell and once proficient there are ‘methods’ to be learnt that change the order of the bells. No ringer ever stops learning new methods, and it is wonderful mental exercise.
If you are interested, then please just come along to one of our Thursday practice nights which start at 7.30pm. The entrance is through the large door at the west end of the church (left hand side as you approach) under the tower. Just wait until the ringing stops and the knock on the door.
