Stretham Tower Enhancement Project

29/08/2026

Old church clocks might be boring to some, but if you turn on the sound you can sense the joy of finally figuring out a 140+ year old machine. It's never boring being a steeple-keeper assistant and a bell ringer, and despite a few false starts with the clock we are steadily learning how to keep it going.

09/08/2026

I'm reminded how so many sayings we use today contain bells. That rings a bell, ringing in the changes, and then, when one of them is not ringing in your ears, there is still that parting thing we say: "give us a ring sometime?". We all love a good church pun, today I spotted this pic of the Michael house café which is a beautiful place of worship turned into a café. And this time some church/tea puns https://www.facebook.com/soverybritish/posts/pfbid0ki362n3heYxTu1yDqiYr95fbKunZAqgBJhLJcgqTPxsyR1FuR5fCJytDNSiUNxSel

I’m in a cafe in a church. Maybe some coffee/tea-related church puns are in order. I’ll leave you to it.

04/08/2026

Today I discovered a poem about London bells that I hadn't seen before. It was published in "The People" on 4 Feb 1917. I've put it into this graphic for your enjoyment. Can you identify all the churches? (One hasn't got a tower, and one has a dubious reference.)

04/08/2026

When the tower gets toasty, we bring out our fans. Actually these are a visiting band from Swaffham Prior. Ringers love to travel and meet.

20/06/2026

It's the Grand National!
No not that national, the National 12 Bell competition of course. Every year ringers compete in striking competitions locally regionally and finally, nationally and today is the day. There are beer tents, teas, cakes and bells and it's all digital too. Live

Matthew Tosh presents live coverage of the National 12-Bell Contest...

14/06/2026

/update! The role has been filled. We found 2 volunteers in the village, thank you to those who showed interest. To hear about what we are up to, follow our page https://www.facebook.com/StrethamBells/

We are looking for a Volunteer Clock Winder. Must be good with stairs, must love machines and must have a sense of duty to the village. Stretham resident, once a week, all training provided. Contact Nicola via this form https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/13963/get-in-touch/

05/06/2026

Did you know, ringers love to remember? Last Sunday saw the band relocate to Haddenham Holy Trinity. Haddenham had a Sunday service ring for the first time in over a decade. For a pic and to read more just click here to see our recording.

General Ringing rung at Haddenham (Holy Trinity), Cambridgeshire

04/06/2026

A Big THANK YOU to all of you who shared our Tower Taster Ringing Event at Stretham REC last weekend. 30+ people came along to hear about the what, why and how of ringing church bells. They saw a demonstration, stood next to a tied bell as it rang and then had a go at chiming. If you missed out and would like to give ringing a try just send an email to us [email protected] for more information.

04/06/2026

A limited number of tickets are available on a first come, first served basis for Bishop Sarah Elizabeth Clark’s Installation at 3pm on 21 June, in Ely Cathedral.

22/05/2026