The Westerham Clangers

25/06/2026

We're thrilled to share a page in The Ringing World with our BBC 'co-stars', the very talented Seal Chart Young Ringers!

The way these youngsters (aged 10 to 15) handled having The One Show's camera crew around was so impressive! In fact their only regret from the filming back in May – as their bell ringing tutor, Jen Thomas, so charmingly puts it – is that: "nerves showed up a bit and they didn't ring quite as well as they are actually able... as they told me in no uncertain terms at our Thursday practice following the filming." 🥰

Jen also gave a couple of nice mentions in her article 🙏

The BBC iPlayer link to the programme in which we all appeared has now expired, but you can read this 'behind the scenes' feature in issue 6008 (19/06/2026) of Ringing World.

You can also view Jen's original write up for the KCACR - Kent County Association of Change Ringers on the KCACR website, plus find out more about the Kent Young Ringers group, which offers great opportunities to ring and learn with other under-25s from around the county.

Who knows – you might even get to be on TV... 😉

24/06/2026

Westerham's swifts seemed particularly drawn to our faster rounds when we practised on Tuesday evening; swooping by close enough to be seen from the doorway.

St Mary's stone tower might be one of the cooler places in Westerham, but the energy-sapping heatwave temperatures meant it was a relief to slow things down a bit, and Peter threw in some call changes as well.

Warmest(!) wishes to any bands ringing over the next few days. We're 'playing' for a wedding next week, and hoping the happy couple have a beautiful day – ideally not as scorching as this one! 🤞

18/06/2026

Tuesday night practice included some Plain Hunt ringing; first on six bells (featured), then eight.

During this method (a regular, repeating ringing pattern), every bell moves one place at each successive change.

🏹 Why is it called 'hunting'?
Each bell 'chases' up through the sequence, passing each neighbour in turn, pausing briefly, then returning back down through the 'pack'.

🤔 Why did Peter make us do it?
It's a good one to hone, because many other ringing methods derive from Plain Hunt – a bit like mastering basic scales & arpeggios before progressing to complex melodies.

Six Westerham Clangers were joined by visiting friends Jen, Hamilton and Dmitry, with plenty of opportunities for everyone to ring, swap bells, and observe.

A sociable and productive practice night 🙂

14/06/2026

Keep an eye out – and up! – in St Mary's churchyard for Westerham's swifts.

Reaching speeds of up to 69mph, they're more likely to fly in from abroad when it's warm and dry here, and we spotted these four (fleetingly!) on Friday, around 7pm.

In 2023, 18 swift boxes were installed behind the clock face on the north side of the church tower. You'll also hear (four times a day), a swift 'caller' playing a 15-minute recording of their distinctive screaming sound to 'broadcast' the nesting site.

Swifts are an endangered species in the UK, so we're really hoping that some of these migratory visitors will summer in Westerham and raise their young in our tower 🤞

You can find out more on the 'Swifts of Westerham' Facebook Group

10/06/2026

Posting this practice night footage just in case Tower Captain Elaine picks up some 4G out at sea... There's been no slacking off in your absence! Hope you're having a wonderful holiday!

The Clangers x

PS: It's still raining in Westerham

04/06/2026

Serenaded by the songbirds of St Mary's churchyard, we're reminded that hopefully it won't be too much longer until visiting swifts come to reclaim their nest boxes in our tower.

Was it really only last week when we were ringing in shorts as Westerham sweltered in the heatwave? Hopefully it's been a good few days for anyone with a garden to revive – perhaps not so great for dog walkers though...!

We'll be ringing for Sunday service on 7th June (10–10.30am) but not in the evening, as there is no Choral Evensong this month. We hope the bells and birdsong will suffice!

31/05/2026

Rounding off the month of May with this morning's Sunday service ringing.

Got a bit hot in the tower so we opened another door to let in the breeze – good practice for Captain Elaine, who's now off sailing for six weeks 🌬️

Our thanks to Saturday's visiting ringers who left the bells up for us after completing their quarter peal 🙏

Let's see what June brings... 🔔☀️🤞

29/05/2026

'When church bells fall silent, something much greater than sound is lost: a living connection to England’s shared history.'

As Taylor's Bellfoundry, Loughborough explains, the UK Government's recent decision to effectively scrap the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme means that many historic churches will now struggle to undertake vital repairs and restoration.

'If preservation becomes financially unmanageable, Britain risks losing not only places of worship, but irreplaceable historic landmarks, specialist industries, and centuries-old traditions that have shaped public life.'
.. including bell-ringing... 🔔

Church bells have been the voice of Britain’s communities for centuries — marking celebration, mourning, remembrance, and warning in times of danger. But today, the historic churches that house them face growing financial pressure from rising costs and the effective removal of VAT relief on repairs.

What does this mean not only for churches, but for Britain’s wider heritage, traditional crafts, and the future of bell ringing itself?

Our latest article explores why this matters far beyond church walls.

Read the full article below.

https://belltrust.co.uk/when-church-bells-fall-silent-the-growing-threat-to-britains-heritage/

Photographs courtesy of Tom Pollard Photography, https://tompollardphotography.com/