Article about the silencing of our historic bells during lockdown, in SWLondoner, local online newspaper https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Booklet_final-min.pdf

Surrey Association has launched a new community website to support its members.

“Together we face an extraordinary challenge, to maintain our community during a period when we are denied the very activity that brings us together.

We’ve set up this website to keep in touch and to share information, ideas and stories. Even when we can’t meet in person there is still a wealth of opportunity to discover and learn about our exercise and to connect with other ringers.”

https://community.surreybellringers.org.uk/

We’ve just been alerted to the fact that All Saints, Kingston has been chosen by National Churches Trust’s CEO Claire Walker as her favourite church. Thanks for the inclusion. https://www.explorechurches.org/our-favourites

Spotted this on Twitter, but not sure who created it. It also has 31 days in April, but at our tower, I’ve said that you can either do all 31 or skip one, but choose carefully as you can’t read through the challenges before the day! Tweet us or send us pics via Instagram your entries for each challenge.

Our bells will fall silent during this difficult time. Stay safe and we hope to be making our joyful sound again soon 🔔

Services

For the foreseeable future we are having to suspend all public services and activities (all 3 Sunday services, midweek Communions and Evensong, Silent Prayer, Praytime for Toddlers) until further notice. 

However, on Sundays at 9.30am Holy Communion will be celebrated in Church and also ‘live streamed’ on our website (www.allsaintskingston.co.uk). Please do join us virtually.

Church opening

The church will continue to be open for private prayer between 10am and 4pm from Monday to Saturday and from 12 noon until 4pm on Sunday. 

The church office will be staffed every week day as normal.

Support

Though we are needing to keep apart let’s stick together – by staying in contact with one another and making sure that those of us who may be facing this “distanced time” alone are in good touch in the ways that are possible.

So, please do make an extra effort to keep in contact and if you know of people who are isolated and on their own then please do let us know so that we can be in touch with them.

Jonathan Wilkes – Rector

020 3132 8717/07986 629657/jonathan@allsaintskingston.co.uk

Quarter peal dates

Please note: Sunday Evensong ringing will not take place when a quarter peal is booked.

12 January
2 February
9 February
8 March
12 April
10 May
14 June
12 July
9 August
13 September
11 October
8 November
13 December

VE Day 75
Ringing will take place for VE Day 75 celebrations. This coincides with Quarter Peal Week ringing. Our ringing will take place on 8 May. More details to come.

• Wednesday 4 December Normal practice
• Sunday 8 December Normal morning ringing, with a Quarter Peal attempt in the evening.
• Wednesday 11 December Normal practice 7.45 pm
• Sunday 15 December, Normal morning ringing. Community Carol Service at 4.30, replacing normal Evensong . Ringing from 3.45 to 4.30.
• Wednesday 18 December No practice – Tiffins Carol Service.
• Sunday 22 December and Sunday 29 December. Normal morning and evening ringing.
• Tuesday 24 December Ringing for midnight mass 10.15-11 pm.
• Wednesday 25 December Morning ringing 8.30-9.30 am followed by coffee etc somewhere. No practice.
• Tuesday 31 December We will gather for drinks somewhere from around 10.30. Ringing from midnight. Contact Kate if you are coming.
• Wednesday 1 January No practice

There will not be a ringing practice at Kingston on Wednesday 20 November as there is a concert in church. See everyone for normal morning and evening ringing on Sunday 24 November and for practice on Wednesday 27th.

All Saints Kingston was delighted to be the venue for the London 12-bell competition held on Saturday 26 October 2019.   

Over 100 ringers assembled in the church for the 10:30am draw. They were welcomed by London 12-bell Chairman Steve Mitchell and the Rev. Mark Stafford, deputising for Rev. Jonathan Wilkes who was away.  

The draw was carried out by Mark Stafford and Alan Hughes, donor of the magnificent Whitechapel trophy. There were a few groans about teams’ places in the draw, mostly depending on when they would be able to get to the Druids Head, the host pub. Several of the ringers were already in the Druids watching England take the All Blacks apart. The ringers approved of the beers of the day provided by the Twickenham brewery and the ladies in the church café did a roaring trade selling drinks and cakes.  

The judges for the day, Jack Page and Anna Sherwood, were ensconced in the Heritage Room, assisted by Adrian Udal who had provided a wi-fi link to a microphone suspended over the bells.  

The Kingston ringers provided stewards who showed the teams up the tower and guarded the judges. We had prepared for the day by getting the bells serviced by Bill Hibbert, changing several ropes in the process, and putting up banners and display boards, as well as informing the local shops and market place what was going on. The whole of the upstairs room at the Druids Head had been booked for the ringers. We had to guarantee a minimum spend of £1,000 during the day but in the event beat that target quite easily.

The ten teams had the opportunity to ring a few rounds before launching into six leads of Yorkshire Maximus, the last four leads being marked. The ringing was generally of a high quality although some experienced ringers could have done better!  

At the end of the contest, all the ringers congregated in the Druids for the results given by Jack and Anna. The winners were the Cumberland Youths, so the trophy was duly presented by Alan Hughes to Ben Constant, leader of the Cumberland team.

We were delighted that the day had gone so well and thanks to everybody who made it such a success. 

Paul Flavell, Tower Captain, All Saints Church, Kingston
Photos from Linda Georgiades and Diane Pratt