Bell Ringing for Christmas 2024

Peals,

As well as ringing on Christmas morning and at midnight on New Year’s Eve, the bell ringers had two extended rings in the build up to Christmas.

The first was a full peal the week before Christmas on 15th December. This took thre hours to complete with full details as follows:

Hornchurch, Essex

St Andrew

Sunday, 15 December 2024 in 3h

5056 Spliced Surprise Major (12m)

(576 Superlative; 448 Bristol; 384 Aldenham,

Ashtead, Cambridge, Cassiobury, Lincolnshire,

London, Pudsey, Rutland, Uxbridge, Yorkshire;)

Arranged from M.C.W. Sherwood

1 Colin Friend

2 Helen J Carter

3 M Louise Booth

4 Anthony J Bloomfield

5 Adrian C Malton (C)

6 Jonathan R Slack

7 Clive J Stephenson

8 Matthew E Rayner

Rung for the Season of Advent.

First of Spliced S Major – 2.

Most methods – 6, 7.

The second extended piece of ringing was a date touch on Christmas Eve. This was 2024 changes to celebrate Christmas 2024 and took about one hour and 15 minutes to complete. Full details as follows:

Hornchurch, Essex

St Andrew

Tuesday, 24 December 2024

2024 Spliced Plain Major (2m)

(8 Little Bob; 2016 Plain Bob)

Composed by Donald F Morrison

1 Julie A Bloomfield

2 Michelle A Stephenson

3 Anthony J Bloomfield

4 John M Church

5 William J Stungo

6 Andrew P Barham

7 Roderic K Bickerton

8 Clive J Stephenson (C)

Rung for Christmas 2024.

Longest length – 2.

Traditional Christmas Ringing at St Andrew’s

Peals

For more than 60 years, a full 3 hour peal has been attempted at St Andrew’s on Christmas Eve (or as close to Christmas as possible).

2023 was no exception and the bells were rung continuously for 3 hours and 7 minutes to celebrate the Christmas Festival:

Essex Association

Hornchurch, Essex

St Andrew

Saturday, 23 December 2023 in 3h 7min

5040 Spliced Major (2m)

(3600 Plain Bob; 1440 Cambridge Surprise)

Composed by: R. Baldwin

1 M Louise Booth

2 Marianne R Hayward

3 William M Beech

4 Helen J Carter

5 Jonathan R Slack

6 Andrew P Barham

7 Colin Friend

8 Clive J Stephenson (C)

Rung for the Festival of Christmas.

Also in thanksgiving for the life of James A Bullock formerly of Dagenham who passed away earlier this week, 6 months short of his 100th birthday.