Kildwick Ringers

We’re excited to be celebrating the 80th anniversary of VE Day!

We  are going to open the tower for visitors on the Bank Holiday (Monday 5th May) – you can climb the stairs and see the bells and watch the clock that make such a significant contribution to the soundscape of an English village.
There’s lots more!

During the day you’ll find Craft Stalls in the Church, a demonstration of bell ringing, children’s 1940s games, live 1940s music, 1940s-style cake, sweets & pop stall.
Bring your picnic blanket, dress the part, and enjoy a truly nostalgic community day.

In the evening there will be a special 1940s Supper in the Kildwick Parish Rooms with a themed menu, music and dancing.  Tickets from Coffee and Crumbs.

You’ll find more details of the day on our VE-80 Page as they are finalised.

On VE Day itself (Thursday 8th May), we will be joining bell towers all across the country as they ring out at 6:30pm to celebrate the ending of the war.  Provided the weather is suitable, we will hold the doors open so that you can watch as the band swing a total of three tons of metal in a dizzying arc, all timed to a fraction of a second.

We’re excited to welcome Sydney who has started to learn our ancient and traditional skill of bell ringing.

Sydney is quite small at the moment (she’ll grow!) so most of her learning for now is on our small “Wombel” simulator but she is already controlling that very satisfactorily.  Once comfortable with that, she’ll graduate to one of our smaller “big bells”.

If you fancy learning this historic art, come along on a Thursday evening and suss us out.

Tower Captain Chris has retired

Back in 2016, the small band of ringers decided to leave.  Chris alone was left and, with a lot of help, particularly from Jane and David, a new team was recruited and taught.  We hoped that the fact that we (nearly) began on April Fool’s Day wasn’t a harbinger of doom!

Nine years later, and the band is still ringing, still learning, still growing.  Some ringers have come and gone, but a core of people, young and old have grown to a state where it’s not only possible for Chris to hang up his Captain’s Hat – but it is important for the growth of the band that he does so.

At this year’s AGM, Gill Berry was elected Tower Captain and Ed Askew has taken on the role of Ringing Master, while Theresa Clark continues as Tower Secretary.  Chris isn’t disappearing into the sunset – and will continue to act as Treasurer as well as helping with some of the teaching.

It’s exciting to be entering a new era for the Kildwick Ringers!

St Andrew’s Church is closed throughout July and August while the roof is repaired.  There will be no ringing!
In addition, if you tried ringing just now, you would hear little apart from the clatter of the ropes because the bells have no clappers – they are on their way to the bellhanger for refurbishment.

(Fun Fact:  All together, the eight clappers weigh almost exactly the same as I do – just under 100kg.)

During July and August, the Kildwick band are delighted and grateful that the people of St Andrew’s, Keighley have welcomed us – so come along at 7:30pm.

(If you’ve not been before, be sure to notice the amazing peal boards, some carved in stone!)

This Thursday (9th May) is Ascension Day and there is a service in church.
There will, therefore, be no practice that night

(The Parish Annual Meeting is on Thursday 23rd.  Depending on just who is available, it is possible we’ll need to cancel the practice that day)

From 1st July, the church will be closed for two months for roof repairs.  There will be no ringing until the beginning of September