Hornchurch Bells

Back to Bobbingworth

On October 12^th 1841 a group of Hornchurch ringers travelled to Bobbingworth, according to legend, on foot. The purpose of the visit was to inaugurate the new ring of six bells that had just been installed. A board hanging in the porch ringing chamber reads as follows:

On the 175^th anniversary we made a return visit and rang a quarter peal (1260 changes) of Double Court and Plain Bob Minor. These may not be exactly the same methods that were rung in 1841, but the precise details are lost in the mists of time. The ‘true and complete peals’ rung then would have been 720 changes each. A board in the Hornchurch tower records a similar performance rung some months later by almost exactly the same ringers.

The recent performance was conducted by our Ringing Master, Clive Stephenson, and the ringers were members of the current Hornchurch band and friends:

Bobbingworth, Essex
St Germain

Wednesday, 12 October 2016 (13–0–3)

1260 Minor
720 Double Court; 540 Plain Bob

1. Lionel S Woods
2. Jillian Laken
3. Helen J Carter
4. James Laken
5. Paul J Bloomfield
6. Clive J Stephenson (C)

Rung to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the opening of Bobbingworth bells on 12th October 1841 by the ‘Hornchurch Youths’, who rang 2 ‘peals’ (extents) of the same methods.

First of Double Court – 2.

Current day ‘Hornchurch Youths’. L – R: Jim Laken, Helen Carter, Paul Bloomfield, Jillian Laken, Clive Stephenson and Lionel Woods

A short extract from the quarter peal is available below:

Our thanks are due to Bobbingworth (sometimes known as Bovinger) Church and their ringers for the use of their bells.

New Method Rung and Named at Hornchurch

For a new method to be named, it has to be rung to a full peal.

At St Andrew’s we named a new method ‘Hornchurch Surprise Major’ after ringing it to a peal on Christmas Eve 1996.

On Saturday 8th October 2016, a new method (Vennington Alliance Royal) was rung and named by a visiting peal band from the Nottingham area:

Southwell and Nottingham Diocesan Guild
Hornchuch, Greater London

St. Andrew

Saturday, 8 October 2016 in 3h 4 (18–0–0)

5004 Vennington A Royal

Composed by Ian Butters

1. Ruth Curtis
2. Paul M Mason
3. Ian Butters (C)
4. Christopher N McCarthy
5. Susan E Marshall
6. Adrian P Sweeting
7. Peter S Lacy
8. Anthony P Cotton
9. Paul F Curtis
10. Brian G Meads

First peal in the method.
Vennington Alliance Royal
-30-1456-56-10-12-18-70-18-70, Group B.

A short 5 minute extract from the peal is available below:

Trainee Bell Ringers Perform Well

St Andrew’s and South Ockendon bell ringers entered 2 teams for a striking competition designed to encourage new bell ringers to take part.

Each team consisted of 6 ringers of which the majority were new recruits having never taken part in such a competition before.

The competition was held at Dagenham Parish Church with 4 teams from the SW District of Essex taking part. Each team had to ring for between 5 and 8 minutes whilst the conductor moved the bells to different positions (Call Changes).

Despite lots of nerves and apprehension, both of our teams successfully completed their test pieces and finished in 2^nd and 4^th places, losing out to Epping in 1^st place. All have resolved to take part again next year.

The photo shows some of the ringers who took part:
L – R: Rosemarie Edwards, Terry Thornhill, Rose Kaziro, Steve Sampson, Michelle Long, John Stephenson and Jane Harper.

Visit of Niue Return Services Association to St Andrew’s

During World War I, men from the New Zealand army were stationed at Grey Towers in Hornchurch where their hospital was based.

Among them were 150 men from the Pacific Island of Niue who fought in France, with the allies, in the Battle of the Somme. Four of them died in Hornchurch of illness during June 1916 and their graves are in St Andrew’s Churchyard.

As part of the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme commemorations, a party from the Niue Return Services Association came to St Andrew’s for a special service of Remembrance and to visit the graves of their fellow countrymen.

A quarter peal was rung prior to the service and a commemorative plaque, shown below, is to be installed inside St Andrew’s Church.

Hornchurch, Essex
St Andrew (18–0–0 in E♭)
Saturday, 17 September 2016

1. John W Stephenson
2. Ros C Skipper
3. Rebecca A Woolward
4. Gavin S Carpenter
5. Clive J Stephenson (C)
6. Anthony F Ammerlaan

Prior to a service commemorating the 100 years since soldiers from The Niue Islands fought alongside British troops on the Western Front in World War I.

Four such soldiers have graves in St Andrew’s churchyard, having died at a convalescent hospital based in Hornchurch at that time.

Click to enlarge

Bell Ringers Success in Striking Competition

On 9^th July 2016, St Andrew’s bell ringers took part in The Essex Association striking competition finals at Mistley (near Harwich).

There were 11 teams taking part from all over Essex and each team had to ring 240 changes of any method.

This means concentrating hard for about 8 or 9 minutes whilst the judges listen for any irregularities (faults) in the ringing, for example, when 2 bell ‘clash’ together.

Each team is then given a total number of faults and the team with the least faults wins.

Our team performed well, registering 51 faults out of a possible 240 and finished 7^th out of the 11 teams taking part.

The team was a mixture of youth and experience and included 2 young ringers from South Ockendon:

L–R: Clare Merivale, Jonathan Mills, Gavin Carpenter, Paul Bloomfield, Chris Pain and Clive Stephenson

Bell Ringing for The Queen’s 90th Bithday

On Saturday 11^th June, a largely Essex band successfully completed a peal of Plain Bob Royal as part of The Queen’s 90^th birthday celebrations.

All 10 bells were rung to Plain Bob Royal and the bells were ringing for 3 hours and 12 minutes.

The peal also marked the 95^th birthday of The Duke of Edinburgh.

Full details are as follows:

Essex Association

Hornchurch, Essex
St Andrew

Saturday, 11 June 2016 in 3 hr 12 min (18–0–0 in E♭)

5040 Plain Bob Royal

Composed by Daniel Brady

1. Paul J Bloomfield
2. M Louise Booth
3. Jillian Laken
4. Colin Friend
5. Colin G Wright
6. David E Rothera
7. Owen C R Webster
8. William J Stungo
9. Matthew E Rayner
10. Clive J Stephenson (C)

Rung as part of H M The Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations.

Also to mark the 95th birthday of The Duke of Edinburgh.

First of Royal – 4.

L-R Paul Bloomfield, Clive Stephenson, Louise Booth, Matthew Rayner, Jillian Laken, Will Stungo, Colin Friend, Owen Webster, Colin Wright, David Rothera

First Quarter Peal Congratulations

Normally bell ringers perform for 5 to 10 minutes at a time and then stop to give their arms and brains a rest and give someone else a go. After a ringer has been learning for a few years, however, they can attempt a quarter peal which is at least 1250 changes (1250 rings or 1250 pulls) and takes about 45 minutes to complete. This is quite a big step and a big achievement, if successful.

On 1st May 2016, prior to the Memorial Evensong, Jacky Stockwell from St Andrew’s bell ringers, successfully completed her first quarter peal at the first attempt.

Jacky started to learn to ring about 3 years ago and has made good progress during that time showing regular commitment to practice nights and Sunday ringing.

Congratulations to Jacky from all her ringing friends!

Hornchurch, Essex
St Andrew
Sunday, 1 May 2016 (18–0–0 in E♭)

1260 Plain Bob Doubles

1. Jacky A Stockwell
2. John W Stephenson
3. Paul J Bloomfield
4. Christopher C M Pain
5. Clive J Stephenson (C)
6. Philip H Denton

Rung prior to Memorial Evensong particularly remembering Peter Saddleton who rang at Hornchurch in the 1970’s and died on 18th April.

First Quarter Peal – treble

L-R: Philip Denton, Paul Bloomfield, John Stephenson, Jacky Stockwell (first quarter), Chris Pain, Clive Stephenson

Celebrating Shakespeare

Although we don’t know the exact date, William Shakespeare was born on or around 23rd April 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon. At the time, Stratford was in the grip of an outbreak of plague and he was lucky to survive.

On 22nd April 1616, a group of friends gathered to celebrate Shakespeare’s 52nd birthday but it was to be his last: ‘Shakespeare and friends had a merry meeting and it seems drank too hard, for Shakespeare died of a fever there contracted’.

Every year, on or around the 23rd April, the anniversary of William Shakespeare is celebrated in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

This year marks the 400th anniversary of his death and on 30th April, St Andrew’s bell ringers chose Stratford-Upon-Avon as a venue for their spring outing. We rang the bells of Holy Trinity Church and also took the opportunity to visit Shakespeare’s grave inside the church.

These photographs show some of the ringers outside Holy Trinity Church and on the banks of the River Avon:

L-R: Eileen Drew, Lionel Woods, Rosemarie Edwards, John Stephenson, Jane Harper,John Thornhill and Terry Thornhill.

L-R: Rose Kaziro, John Stephenson and Angela Achampong

Hornchurch, Essex
St Andrew
Sunday, 24 April 2016 (18–0–0 in E♭)

2016 Grandsire Caters
Backstroke start – Composed by Brian E Whiting

1. Lionel S Woods
2. John W Stephenson
3. Christopher C M Pain
4. Jillian Laken
5. James Laken
6. Leonie J McCaughren
7. Nicholas M Allen
8. Paul J Bloomfield
9. Clive J Stephenson (C)
10. Paul Trueman

Date touch for Evensong and to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare.

Bellringers Celebrate Diamond Wedding

John and Blanche Stephenson celebrating their Diamond Wedding.

On 27th August 2015, John Stephenson of St Andrew’s bellringers, and his wife Blanche, celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary.

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Bell Ringers Strike a Blow for Democracy

The ringers from Hornchurch and South Ockendon that took part in the general ringing.

This year saw the 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta and bell ringers from across Havering took part in the National celebrations.

On 15th June 1215, the first version of Magna Carta or ‘Charter of Liberties’ was signed at Runnymede Meadows by King John. This removed absolute power from the King and paved the way for parliament and the many freedoms that we enjoy today.

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