Bell ringing at All Saints
 

All Saints is home to an enthusiastic band of ringers. Most are from the local area, although a number travel from further afield.

We ring each week prior to Sunday morning worship from 9.15 am, and after Wednesday morning worship from 11 am. We actively contribute to the life of the church by ringing for special occasions such as weddings and other church events.

Our ringers receive quality tuition in a supportive environment and can expect to make good progress. Early-stage learners follow the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART) Learning the Ropes scheme. We are fortunate to have direct support from an ART tutor, members of the St Paul’s Cathedral band and other first-class ringers.

Many of our ringers are also members of other tower bands. We work with St Martin’s in Ruislip, St Peter’s in Bushey Heath and St Margaret’s in Edgware to achieve optimum levels of ringing at all four towers. Currently we run training most Sunday afternoons and one Wednesday afternoon each month at All Saints, and once a month in the evening at each of St Peter’s and St Margaret’s. Occasional additional ringing takes place for specific events.

We enjoy each other’s company and regularly attend social events together, not all of which are ringing related.

Visitors and new members are extremely welcome – though do please contact us in advance if possible, and note that the exact details of service ringing and practices may vary. Training is available for anyone new to tower bell ringing; please contact us if you are interested in learning how to ring.

Charmian Baker (Tower Captain) - 020 8866 7262

Sonia Field (Ringing Master) - 020 8907 5523

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The History of the All Saints Bells

Thomas Francis Blackwell presented a peal of six bells to All Saints in the 1890s. These bells were cast at the Whitechapel bell-foundry and each has a verse from Psalm 150 (the musician’s psalm) cast into the inscription band near the top of the bell.

Little is known about the ringing before the 1920s. However, by the early 1930s the bells had become physically difficult to ring, caused by a combination of a deteriorating wooden bell-frame and considerable tower movement.
In 1935 a successful case was made to the PCC for rehanging the bells, slightly lower in the tower, and in a new H type steel and iron frame. This new frame was large enough to accommodate two additional bells, and to have all eight bells on one level.  The old six bells were tuned and the ringers themselves raised the £92 to pay for two extra lighter bells to complete the octave. These new bells were cast by Taylors of Loughborough. The eight bells are mounted on cast iron headstocks fitted with self-aligning ball bearings, traditional wheels and clappers and Hastings type stays. A ninth bell, the Sanctus bell, originally cast for Harrow Weald School, was hung for chiming only in a wooden frame above the eight bells in 1976.
The first peal on all eight bells (Grandsire triples) was rung on 17th September 1935. The time taken for a full peal at All Saints' is usually about 2 hours and 50 minutes. A record peal of 10,080 changes of Spliced Surprise Major was rung in 1970.

Treble    3 cwt 0 qtr 1 lb
Second  3 cwt 1 qtr 6 lb
Third      3 cwt 3 qtr 4 lb   ‘Praise God in His Sanctuary’
Fourth    4 cwt 0 qtr 22 lb 'Praise Him for His mighty acts'
Fifth       4 cwt 2 qtr 24 lb  'Praise Him with the Sound of the Trumpet'
Sixth      5 cwt 0 qtr 7 lb    'Praise Him with Stringed Instruments and Organs'
Seventh 6 cwt 2 qtr 26 lb  'Praise Him upon the High Sounding Cymbals'
Tenor     7 cwt 3 qtr 3 lb    'Let Everything that hath Breath Praise the Lord'

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