The Lincoln Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers

RAF 90th Anniversary peal at Stow

Not only was Lincolnshire echoing to the sound of the Red Arrows from RAF Scampton and four Typhoon fighter aircraft from RAF Coningsby during the flypasts for the 90th Anniversary of the Royal Air Force on 1st April 2008, but not very far away from the Red Arrows home base at Scampton, the air was filled with the sound of Grandsire Triples. The RAF Guild of Bellringers provided its own birthday tribute to the RAF by ringing a peal at St. Mary’s, Stow. The band which included three serving and five ex-serving personnel rang a peal of Grandsire Triples in 2 hours and 48 minutes.

Ringers l-r: Mark Philipson, John Underwood, Michael Stracey (C), Shawn Lewis (kneeling),
Robert Graves, Stephen Goddard (kneeling), Barry Brown and Christopher Adamson.

The Guild decided on Stow as the location for the peal as the church has close links to the RAF and the Red Arrows. Not only does the church reside in the Red Arrows practice area and is regularly over flown by the team, but back in 1998, the Red Arrows Trust provided a grant to the local ringers which combined with a grant from the Millennium Commission enabled the bells to be augmented from 6 to 8. As a result of the grant the treble bears the Red Arrows badge and the inscription ‘The Red Arrows’.

 

Red Arrows bell with Shawn Lewis and Mark Philipson (Chairman, RAF Guild of Bellringers).

Details of the peal - click for record on Campanophile