Kilifi Ringers in Derby

Three ringers from St Thomas's Church in Kilifi, Kenya, visited the UK for a two week training visit from Thursday 20th July 2017. This was a follow-up to a visit two years earlier, details of which can be seen here.

As some of our team had been involved in the previous training visit to the UK in 2015, we offered to host two days intensive training using the simulator at St Peter's. Being a prelude to the visitors joining the week long Whiting Society Summer School, this training was run as a Whiting Society event.

The visitors (John Malala, Deborah Mulobi and David Shaha) were receiving training in the Cambridge area before coming to Derby. Nicci Cole collected them from a handover point in Lutterworth during the afternoon of Sunday 23rd July. During the evening the visitors, trainers and helpers all met for a meal at the Thomas Leaper. This was slightly delayed due to the staff having a problem setting up tables which was resolved once Alec Humphrey took charge. Before the meal there was also an opportunity for David to meet up with an old friend, Deborah Blagden, who had been instrumental in making the Kilifi bells ringable and teaching their ringers during the early 1980s.

On Monday morning the Kilifi ringers met with their trainers (Alan Rowe, Alec Humphrey and Mike Redfern) for breakfast in a meeting room in the St Peter's Centre. This ensured that everyone was ready in plenty of time for the morning session on the simulator. Three independent workstations had been set up ensuring that there was no need for anyone to wait for one to become available. After a brief assessment and instruction on using the simulator, the first session was mainly focused on plain hunt. We were pleased with the standard of the Kenyans' bell handling and rapid progress was made.

Lunch was provided in the meeting room by Jana Pavova, Lynne Newton, Evie Newton and Chris Willis. This was followed by an afternoon session on the simulator workstations. This time the focus was on Plain Bob Doubles, with 'Bayles-type' methods and Bastow Little Bob used as intermediate exercises.

After a total of five hours work on the simulator it was time for a rest. A short walk around the city centre was followed by a meal from a local takeaway. The rest was not to last, with the visitors joining the St Peter's practice in the evening. The bells were open for the practice, allowing the tower to be 'grabbed' properly - it would have been a long way to have to come back.

Tuesday followed a similar pattern. The morning session again used the simulator workstations. Following a brief theory session from Alec after breakfast this session focused on the calls in Plain Bob Doubles. During the lunch break the workstations were removed and the simulator configured to allow ringing on the front 6. Having been joined by some additional helpers (Jana Pavova, Lynne Newton, Evie Newton, Chris Willis and Sue Peach) the afternoon was taken up with touches of Plain Bob Doubles, each having one of the visitors ringing inside and another covering, and plain hunt with all three ringing simultaneously. Towards the end of the afternoon we were also joined by Michael Foulds, a Whiting Society Principal, so that he could observe the progress made.

After the end of the training there was a short communion service in the chancel led by the Rev'd Darren Howie. The visitors were then taken for a meal at the Standing Order prior to joining the first part of the practice at Derby Cathedral.

In addition to the open ringing at the practice nights there was 10 hours of ringing on the simulator over the two days. It was a very busy and tiring time, but also very productive and enjoyable. All three of the Kilifi ringers achieved quarter peals over the following days, including some ringing inside. We like to think that we helped contribute towards this success, and that it will in turn help with the further development of the ringing in Kilifi.