Appeal to come along and support peal to mark coronation and world record

TO MARK the Coronation of the King, and to celebrate a world record in Stoney Stanton set 100 years ago, a band of people will be ringing a peal on Friday at the village church.

A spokesperson said: “Did you know that St Michael’s Stoney Stanton holds a world record? It’s true, it’s historic, and we are going to celebrate it.

“High up on a wall in the ground floor room at the bottom of St Michael’s church tower (a space technically known as ‘The Ringing Chamber’) is a large wooden board. It records that 100 years ago, on April 23rd 1923, for seven hours 23 minutes, a group of eight men rang the bells non-stop in a successful attempt to ring all the possible variations of a bellringing method called Cambridge Surprise Major.

“They were, in effect ringing from memory 12,896 lines of ‘code’, with each line of code being different from the line before.

“They needed concentration, fitness, technique, and knowledge. No-one else had successfully rang this ‘long-length’ peal before, and very few have rung it since. The group of men ‘the band’ were local men, led by Harold Joseph Poole who was born in Lutterworth.

“Harold was only 21 and he went on to become one of the leading peal ringers of his generation.

“On Friday 28th April at 2pm another band of ringers are honouring this feat, and celebrating the coronation of HM King Charles III, by ringing another peal of Cambridge Surprise Major. They will be ringing for three hours (not seven!). So, why not come to the church to listen to the ringing, enjoy some light refreshments, and view a display about the original eight ringers?”