The Parish of Wargrave with Knowl Hill
Reach out, Draw in, Build up, Send out
Bell Ringing - how about you?
There have been bells at Wargrave since at least the seventeenth century and probably before that. The six seventeenth century bells were destroyed in the fire of 1914 and their fire-distorted clappers can be seen hanging in the back of the church. Amazingly, considering that World War I was raging, a splendid new ring of eight bells was installed in the tower in 1915. The bell tower's fortunes have fluctuated over the years, with periods where there was an ample number of ringers to man the bells. Only a few years ago there were a good number of teenagers in the band, but they have all given up due to educational pressures. We now have only six ringers to ring the eight bells, and obviously there are 
occasions when not everybody can attend. We frequently have only four ringers on a Sunday morning, and quite often do not have enough people to ring at all. Another factor giving cause for concern is our age profile, with five of our ringers being over 50. We need your help. We need new recruits, of both sexes, with a minimum age of eleven. We ring for forty minutes on Sunday mornings (9.50-10.30), with an hour and a half practice on Wednesday evenings at 7.30. We also ring for weddings, for which we get paid. Unlike your friendly local golf club, ringing is completely free and all the tuition is given free of charge. We have a strong child protection policy and all instructors are CRB checked. Please do consider coming to join us. Ringing is a fascinating hobby and you will have friends all over the country and also in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. Ringers frequently visit other churches while on holiday or on business in other parts of the country and there's always a warm welcome and perhaps a sociable glass in the pub after the practice. You don't need to be a churchgoer or indeed to have any religious affiliation at all.
For further information download a leaflet and then please contact David Sullivan
From the article first published in the June Wargrave News
Office Address:
Parish Office, Mill Green
Station Road
Wargrave
Berks
RG10 8EU
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