It was in September that Brian, the Weekley Lay Reader, contacted ART. The Church, part of the Boughton Estate near Kettering, had a congregation who wanted to ring their six bells but no bellringers, could ART teach some of the congregation? As the nearest ART Member, I was asked to help and with Helen Churchman the Kettering District Ringing Master and Nich Wilson, a local Tower Captain, who had recently attended a M1 course we set about teaching. Nick Churchman was roped in to help to do some maintenance on what are a challenging set of bells to learn on. If I say: bells not rung for years, long draught, Hastings stays, plain bearings you get the picture.

The learners were not safe to ring on their own for Remembrance Sunday so it was decided they would chime the bells before the service, in rounds if possible. After the service the congregation were asked to come and chime a bell in remembrance, under the watchful eye of their new bellringers, who had become very good at chiming, raising and lowering half way-ish, but putting both strokes together is going to take a little longer yet.

The day before, on Saturday 10 November, a quarter peal was rung at Weekley as part of the Kettering District quarter peal week-end. Information was left in the church about the bellringers in the District, who had gone to war. As we rang this ground floor ring, people in the church talked to visitors who came in to watch. Hopefully we may gain some more recruits in the future!At the moment we have our hands full with our existing new ringers.

Elaine Greatrex, Scaldwell