Hornchurch Bells

Bell Ringers Spring Outing 2019

Just after 7.30am on Saturday 27^th April, a coach full of 57 bell ringers and friends left St Andrew’s for Suffolk.

Our first stop was the market town of Halesworth with it’s antique shops and old-fashioned coffee shops. The bells here were heavy and quite challenging but a nice piece of Superlative Major was rung.

The next stop was Bungay, a redundant church in the middle of town with a magnificent tower that can be seen from miles around. Some successful ringing of Grandsire Triples and Lincolnshire Major was achieved.

Our buffet lunch was well received before our stop at Beccles with it’s detached tower and splendid views over the Waveney Valley. The 10 bells here were the heaviest and most musical of the day. We rang well with Hayden and Jane successfully ringing Plain Hunt on 9.

Our final stop at Lowestoft were an easy-going set of 8 bells rung from the ground floor. Eileen, Angela and Val all rang well with Val ringing the 6^th of the 8 to rounds and Hayden ringing the tenor well to Plain Bob Triples.

The day concluded with a well-earned dinner in the local pub and back to Hornchurch, tired but happy after our very enjoyable day out.

Photo 1: Val & Eileen at Halesworth

Photo 2: Bell Ringers at Bungay

Quarter Peal Success for Joseph

On Sunday 27^th January 2019, young bell ringer Joseph Hurley rang continuously for 45 minutes to complete his first quarter peal on St Andrew’s bells.

He carefully plain hunted the treble to the tune of Plain Bob Doubles whilst concentrating on the order of the bells which were continually changing.

He was supported by fellow young ringer Hayden Musham who kept a steady beat on the tenor for the whole time.

A full record of the quarter peal is shown below:

Hornchurch, Essex
St Andrew
Sunday, 27 January 2019

1260 Plain Bob Doubles

1. Joseph Hurley
2. John W Stephenson
3. Lionel S Woods
4. Philip H Denton
5. Clive J Stephenson (C)
6. Hayden R Musham

For Evensong and to welcome Timothy Pope, born on 25th January, a son for Charlotte & Nick and a grandson for Ray Rogers of the local band.

First Quarter – 1.
300th Quarter – 4.

The photo shows the ringers that took part: L – R: Joseph, John, Lionel, Philip, Clive & Hayden.

Wedding of Clive Stephenson & Michelle Long

September the 22nd was a momentous day for Hornchurch Ringing when The Master, Clive Stephenson married fellow ringer Michelle Long.

Festivities began on August 27th with a celebratory peal, and a quarter peal was rung prior to the wedding. Immediately before and after the service the bells were rung by different bands, so that everybody got a chance to join in the occasion. Whilst the weather could have been better, throughout the day the timing and organisation were impeccable.

Michelle, looking stunning, arrived and was escorted down the aisle by her mother, Janice, to Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary, and the wedding was conducted by our vicar, Revd. Barry Hobson, while the organ was played by ringer and priest Phil Denton. Clive’s best man was lifelong friend David Saunders.

During the Signing of the Register handbells were rung by the Loughton Handbell Ringers, conducted by Andrew Barham.

Following the service, a hundred plus ringers, family and friends were entertained in the Church Hall and supplied with copious amounts of sandwiches, cakes, savouries and drinks and photographs were taken in the Church Grounds.

Later the Wedding Breakfast was held at The De Rougemont Manor in nearby Great Warley and attended by about seventy people.

A superb meal was served and Clive and The Best Man made well prepared and witty speeches. Clive alluded to his questionable dancing skills, to be demonstrated later, and told of his unique method of proposal, a note encased in Valentine’s Day chocolate, while David in a traditional Best Man’s speech toasted the Bride and Groom with the various groups present: Family, St Edwards School Alumni, Friends, Ringers and Pharmacists.

Later a disco was set up and dancing continued till after midnight while guests mingled, danced, renewed old acquaintances and generally enjoyed themselves.

Altogether, a splendid day!

Clive and Michelle with some of the Hornchurch Bellringers.

Clive and Michelle with Barry Hobson, Vicar.

Local News Article – Armistice 100: Hornchurch bell ringers get ready to honour war dead

Bell ringers from St Andrews church in Hornchurch will be ringing the bells on Remembrance Sunday. Some of them have only just started learning after an appeal to get more people involved. Photo by Ellie Hoskins

When the First World War ended church bells rang out across the land.

“Bells burst forth in joyful chimes”, one newspaper reported a day after November 11, 1918, Armistice Day.

The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers drew up a roll of honour for those who lost their lives in the 1914-1918 conflict.

…

(To continue reading this article please visit the Romford Recorder website)

Quarter Peal Success for Young Ringer

On Sunday 15^th July, St Andrew’s bell ringer Hayden Musham successfully completed his first quarter peal at the first attempt.

Hayden rang the treble to a method called Plain Bob Doubles, skillfully changing the position of his bell for 1260 changes.

This took about 45 minutes and is a big achievement for a 14 year old who has only been ringing for about 18 months.

Well done!

Full details of the quarter peal are:

Hornchurch, Essex

St Andrew

Sunday, 15 July 2018

1260 Plain Bob Doubles

1. Hayden R Musham
2. John W Stephenson
3. Gavin S Carpenter
4. Christopher C M Pain
5. Clive J Stephenson (C)
6. Anthony F Ammerlaan

For Evening Worship

First Quarter Peal – 1

      The ringers who took part: L – R: Hayden, John, Gavin, Chris, Clive & Tony

September Coach Outing to Reading

The bell ringers’ Autumn coach outing, organised by Adam, Gavin and Leonie, took us to some relatively easy-going bells in the Reading area.

Our first stop was Caversham, a busy town on the outskirts of Reading where the bells allowed a good variety of ringing including Plain Bob, Stedman and Double Norwich. It was good to see Margaret (Waller) back ringing so well after her knee and hip replacements.

A long walk from the coach to St Giles in Reading was followed by a welcome lunch break and then on to the 6 bells of South Stoke where we rang a nice course of Cambridge Minor, with John (Church) keeping us right on the treble.

We then went back to Reading for the biggest challenge of the day on the 12 bells of St Laurance. The bells have a tenor of 23cwt but were easy to ring and most of the ringers managed rounds on 12, many for the first time. We finished with Plain Hunt on 11 with 18 year old Alex Blissett keeping a good steady beat on the tenor.

At Shiplake, our last stop, the bells were the best of the day with everyone enjoying the ringing and, of course, dinner together in the local pub afterwards. Congratulations to our organisers, especially Adam (Carpenter) who worked hard to put the day together.

Ringers outside St Peters, Caversham

Jane, Eileen, John & Terry on their lunch-break

Leonie & Chris at St Laurance, Reading

Meeting old friends at South Stoke

Hornchurch Peal For Royal Wedding

A full peal of Kent Royal lasting exactly 3 hours was rung at St Andrew’s for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Saturday 19^th May.

The peal was arranged so that the bells were actually ringing during the service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.

Full details of the peal are:

Hornchurch, Essex
St Andrew

Saturday, 19 May 2018 in 3 hrs

5000 Kent Treble Bob Royal

Composed by Donald F Morrison

1. John A Hall
2. Matthew E Rayner
3. Jillian Laken
4. Jon Waters
5. David E Rothera
6. Anthony J Bloomfield
7. Timothy G M Jones
8. Stephen C Wood
9. Roderic K Bickerton
10. Clive J Stephenson (C)

Rung for and during the wedding of HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Here is a short extract of the peal:

Spring Coach Outing 2018 To The Cotswolds

On Saturday 14^th April, a full coach of 56 ringers and friends set off for the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire.

After a cold week in Essex, the sun came out and a two and a half hour drive brought us to our first stop in Chipping Norton. A welcome cup of coffee and some good ringing saw us on our way to our lunch stop in Moreton-in-Marsh.

Young Ringers at Moreton

The afternoon took us to the picturesque Bourton-on-the-Water in the middle of the Cotswolds with its many gift shops and tea shops along the River Windrush in the centre of town.

Ringers at Bourton-on-the-Water

Our final stop at Stow-on-the-Wold presented us with a heavy ring of 8 bells. At 27cwt, the tenor weighs one and a half times as much as Hornchurch but we managed well and enjoyed some of the best ringing of the day topped only by an excellent evening meal before our long drive home.

Remembering Joan Peacock (1926 – 2018)

Joan Peacock learnt to ring at Tring in Hertfordshire. Following the war, her long career in the Personnel Department of May & Baker brought her to Essex where she joined the Hornchurch band in 1946 and made rapid progress under the guidance of then master, Frank Gant.

Her cheerful personality earned her many friends including the Salisbury brothers, Dulcie Wright, Lionel Woods, Chris Pain and John Stephenson who remember her with affection. She was helpful to the learners and rang 9 peals at Hornchurch including a notable performance for The Queen’s Coronation in 1953:

The Essex Association
Hornchurch, St Andrew

On 2^nd June 1953 in 3hrs 3mins

5056 Plain Bob Major

Comp: D.W.Beard

1. Mrs Dorothy Wright
2. Joan Peacock 
3. Jimmy Carrott   
4. Donald Salisbury   
5. Colin Wright
6. Sid Penfold
7. Andy Salisbury
8. Frank Gant (c)

Rung for The Queen’s Coronation

100^th peal – 8

She remained an active member of the Hornchurch band for more than 50 years and was a life member of The Essex Association. Following her retirement from ringing in the late 1990’s, she remained an active rambler into her mid 80’s and could always be found pouring over the pages of The Ringing World for news of her old friends and colleagues.

She passed away on 18^th March 2018, just short of her 92^nd birthday. The photograph shows Joan at her 90^th birthday party. A quarter peal was rung in thanksgiving for her life at Hornchurch on 8^th April and is printed below.

She will be greatly missed.

Hornchurch, Essex
St Andrew     

Sunday, 8 April 2018

1280 Spliced Surprise Major (8m)

(Standard 8)

1. Colin Friend
2. John W Stephenson
3. Louise Booth
4. Peter J Joyce
5. Christopher C M Pain
6. Clive J Stephenson
7. Andrew P Barham
8. Matthew E Rayner (C)

For Evensong and in thanksgiving for the life of Joan Peacock, a regular ringer at this tower for at least 50 years.