Category: News

Melissa Osborne, a reporter for the Kingston Courier, visited the tower on practice night a few weeks ago to find out about bellringing. Here’s her report: https://kingstoncourier.co.uk/the-kingston-bell-ringers/

We have blogged about lending a set of handbells to Piggott School’s music department.

Well, we asked for a photo of them for our inventory and we were sent the pic above which got us intrigued to find out about the generous donator. This is what we’ve uncovered on the internet …

S. W. Gandy, Samuel Whitelock Gandy was a famous writer of hymns as well as vicar of All Saints Kingston, 1817-1851. 

We’ve found the following about him on the Internet:

https://hymnary.org/person/Gandy_SW1

https://www.stempublishing.com/hymns/biographies/gandy.html

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/g/a/n/d/gandy_sw.htm

Gandy, Samuel Whitelock. This writer (Vicar of Kingston-on-Thames with Richmond from Jan. 1817 to his death, Dec. 24, 1851) was the author of “What tho’ the Accuser roar” (Victory through Jesus), and “His be the Victor’s name” (Victory through Jesus), in the Plymouth Brethren Hymns for the Poor of the Flock, 1838, Nos. 43, 44. Some of his Sermons were published posthumously in 1859. Sedgwick says he published a Selection of Psalms & Hymns, but we have not seen this work (S. MSS.). –John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

Samuel was the son of John and Mar­g­aret Gan­dy. He was a King’s Schol­ar at Eton in 1788, and an as­sist­ant there, 1800–03.

He was ad­mit­ted as a schol­ar at King’s Col­lege, Cam­bridge, July 28, 1795 (BA 1800, MA 1803, fel­low 1798–1817).

He served as min­is­ter at East Stone­house (now part of Ply­mouth), and vi­car at St. Bu­deaux Par­ish Church, Ply­mouth (1802–17), and at King­ston-up­on-Thames, from Jan­u­a­ry 1817 un­til his death. 

Zac Hicks has made this video and wrote the tune to this song using lyrics from ‘His be the Victor’s name’:

His Be the Victor’s Name

All Saints Church has a vacancy for an Incumbent (Team Rector) https://www.allsaintskingston.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Church-Times-Advert-Kingston-Team-Ministry.pdf

The Team Ministry Profile has been prepared by the Churchwardens and PCC as part of the process of appointing a new Incumbent. Our profile was written by So-Shan Au, Paul and Kate Flavell. https://www.allsaintskingston.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Benefice-of-kingston-Profile-Online.pdf

Quarter peal of 1280 Cambridge Surprise Major for evensong. In memory of H John Parlett, 1948 Olympian, uncle of Kate Flavell (Kate’s paternal uncle), who died 6 March 2022, age 96.

Also a birthday compliment to Fraser. First on 8 too for Fraser. Well done Fraser on your first Major QP and Happy Birthday too!

Read about John Parlett here: https://www.teamgb.com/article/john-parlett-and-dorothy-manley/di2i7uHN0xkuE58fNM7Pm 

Like the QP on Bellboard here: https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1502506

Here is what I’ve managed to Google search. Please get in touch if you know more about any of these ringers.

Brian Threlfall

In Memoriam – Brian David Threlfall – CCCBR

• Represented the Cambridge University Guild from 1954 – 1984,
  Honorary Member 1984 – 1990,
  represented the Hereford Diocesan Guild 1996 to 2002,
  and the Gloucester & Bristol Diocesan Association 2002 – 2008.
  Attended 43 meetings.
• Served on the Admin Committee from 1969 – 1980,
  the Towers & Belfries Committee from 1960 – 1986 (chairman 1980 – 1986)
  and the Biographies Committee 1978 – 1984 & 1996 – 2008 (chairman 1999 – 2005)

Here’s his appearances on Bellboard: Ringing World BellBoard

Found a fab photo of him at St Sepulchre without Newgate in 1979 (?). He’s in the tweed suit – still a dapper dresser!

© Stephen A Waters (now in ASCY library) Love’s Guide to the Church Bells of the City of London (lovesguide.com)

Frank Hawthorne

Here’s his appearances on Bellboard: Ringing World BellBoard

We were sent an email from a previous Kingston tower captain, Martin Lazell (1980) with a link to a fabulous old photo album of Kingston on the Kingston Heritage Service Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingstonmuseum/with/32102653026/

There are some fab photos on there, but two caught our eye, and we’ve been able to identify the ringers too. Read on!

Here’s our detective work, thanks to Inspector Paul Flavell (our current tower captain), Inspector Alan Bagworth and Inspector Michael Uphill!

© Kingston Heritage Service

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingstonmuseum/31992719452/in/photostream/

• The photo was taken in 1953 and according to the captain’s board (see below), the tower captain was Frank Hawthorne.
• Pictured: Brian Threlfall, Bill Morris and Frank Hawthorne.
• This is the old anticlockwise 10 so the boxes for 9 and 10 are the other way round!
• The old tenor was 27cwt – that’s a huge box Bill Morris is standing on!
• Curious to see all the existing pealboards but quite clearly in different places to where they are now.  I shall take a copy of this picture and try to identify all the pealboards in the photo. Not sure which wall we’re looking at but we think it must be the (west) wall behind our current bells 3,4,5,6.  The ladder goes up into the same place as the existing trap door.
• I wonder what happened to the clock?
• The tank tops and waistcoats are typical of ringers of that period! I think we should reinstate them as our uniform – much smarter than our polo shirt, although I doubt they are very comfortable to ring in 😂

© Kingston Heritage Service

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingstonmuseum/32102653026/in/photostream/

• Pictured: Brian Threlfall and Frank Hawthorne muffling the tenor.
• Putting muffles on whilst the bells are up – this is very dangerous and we stopped doing it several years ago we hasten to add! Obviously health and safety standards have changed quite a lot over the years.
• The wires in the background were probably how the carillon was originally connected to the hammers.
• This was the original oak bell frame.
• There is strong ‘chicken wire’ netting over the louvres to stop birds coming in.
• There is a low ceiling over the bells which isn’t there now.

If you spot any pictures of All Saints Church or Kingston bell ringers on your travels and internet searches, do send them on to us as we’d love to see them. And I’ve just gone down a rabbit hole searching the named ringers in the photos. More to come! And if you have any stories about these particular ringers or you’re related to them, do get in touch. We’d love to hear your stories.

Quarter peal dates for Evensong (so no open ringing for service) – all subject to change. Please contact the tower for more info.

9 January

13 February

13 March

10 April

8 May

12 June

10 July

14 August

11 September

9 October

13 November

11 December

Other key dates

18-20 February – The Surrey Association Peal weekend is traditionally held in the middle of February each year to mark the anniversary of the first peal for the Association on 18th February 1881.

2 March – Ash Wednesday – No practice

2-6 June – Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend. The 70th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne falls on February 6, 2022 but the celebrations are to be held in June.

We lend a set of handbells to The Piggott School and they make an appearance in this year’s virtual Christmas carol service. You can watch it here.

• 

The bells can be seen at 5 mins 10 and 24 mins 11.

Christmas Ringing 2021

Ringing arrangements as normal except as shown here:
Wednesday 8 December no practice (Carol service in church)
Sunday 12 December quarter peal in the evening
Tuesday 14 December practice night changed to Tuesday from Wednesday –
normal times and arrangements
Wednesday 15 December no practice (Carol service in church)
Friday 17 December finish decorating Christmas trees for festival
Sunday 19 December evening ringing from 15:30–16:30 for Community Carol service
Friday 24 December ringing from 22:15–23:00 for 23:00 service for midnight mass
Saturday 25 December ringing from 8:30–9:30 (coffee & cake afterwards!)
Sunday 26 December normal morning ringing. No evening ringing – no evensong
Wednesday 29 December no practice
Friday 31 December Ringing: be at the church by 23:30. Ringing from midnight.
Sunday 2 January back to normal.

Read our bellringing article in the latest edition of Saints Alive, the magazine for All Saints Kingston and St John’s Kingston (Sep/Oct/Nov 2021) https://www.allsaintskingston.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Saints-Alive-Sept-Oct-Nov-2021-for-WEB.pdf