| FEATURE: JOHN CANNINGS |
Tower Captain, Chirton Church Bell-Ringing Team talks to Chirton Village Voice
CHIRTON CHURCH HAD FIVE BELLS AND IT WAS NOT ENOUGH. With five bells you can ring a total of 120 bell combinations. With a sixth you get 720 — more variety, more challenge. It was decided that the village would go for a sixth bell. But who would pay for it? Percy Fussell, owner of the village garage (and father of Tom Fussell) stepped in and agreed to pay for the bell itself if the village would foot the bill for the installation. They did, and it went ahead — at a total cost of around £1,000. (For details of the church bells, see The Church Bells.)
That was in 1959, a world away, when traditional village activities had a wider following. The bells are now kept in good voice by a smallish band of enthusiasts like John Cannings, who leads the seven-strong bell-ringing team at St. John the Baptist Church.
John has lived all his life in Chirton, and has been bell-ringing here for much of it, starting as a 15-year old in 1950. He took to it and his skills developed fast under the guidance of Herbert Giddings. There was a gap of two years while he did his national service in the mid-fifties. Later there was a gap of nearly 20 years, when the bells fell silent because not enough people could be found to ring them.
That unhappy period came to an end with approach of the year 2000. The bells had to ring out to herald the new millennium and John built a team to do it. Since then they have rung out every Wednesday night (practice night) and before and after all services in the church.
But John admits it's a struggle. The seven ringers (John himself, plus Fred Stone, Jonathan Oliphant, Phil Pottinger, Janet and Terry Read and Derek Birch) are a dedicated bunch. But everyone likes a holiday now and then, and if two or more people are away at the same time you can't do the usual routines. Everyone is a star and you need the whole cast to put on the show.
The bell-ringers are always looking for new recruits, young or old. It's not that you can't interest the young. All Cannings Church, for example, has six ringers under the age of twelve. "But," John says, "they grow up, move away, find new interests, usually outside the village. You can't rely on people taking it up for life any more."
Which is a pity, because for John bell-ringing is a satisfying, challenging and very rewarding part of his life. And it keeps alive a very ancient tradition. He is not planning to stop any time soon.
If you are interested in taking up bell-ringing, send your details to us using the Enquiry Form and John will get in touch.