In April this year we enjoyed ringing to celebrate the Royal Wedding.  Our ringing included "firing" the bells, which is tradition of striking (sounding) all 8 bells at exactly the same time to sound like cannon fire - this tradition reserved especially for Weddings.  We have also rung for many other important services over the year including most recently Phillip Waights’ Funeral and Remembrance Sunday.  We plan to ring for Services during the Christmas season – including the Carol Service at 18:00 on 11^th December.

In the UK and a few other places in the world we ring what is called ‘Full Circle Ringing’.  This means that the bells are rung through 360 degrees under control of the ringer using a rope and wheel. The art is to be able to control one’s bell to strike it’s clapper in time - a bit like playing music to a beat - but ringers call it ‘striking’.  We ring ‘Changes’ to mix up the order of the bells and make differing tunes.  As well as being an excellent physical pastime - it is also a mental one.  As we ring as a team, each ringer concentrates on making sure that their bell is struck at exactly the correct moment in relation to the rest.

Whilton belongs to the Daventry Branch of the Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Ringers.  As well as monthly meetings to visit other towers and ringers, they organise a number of social events, training events and inter branch competitions.  The wider community also have Societies within large companies and Universities - a great way to make new friends.

We are always keen to welcome new people of any age to our practice.  If you would like to have a go at learning to ring, or would just like to see us in action, we would be delighted to hear from you.