Mum-of-three to mark her 50th birthday by ringing church bells in 50 Sussex bell towers

Vicky Chase first learned the art of bellringing at the tender age of 12. But it was not until her twin sons were four years old in 2017 that she took it up again.

Now, she says: “I have a massive passion for ringing. I thoroughly enjoy it.”

Vicky, who lives in Billingshurst, is currently training and recruitment team leader for the Sussex County Association of Change Ringers and has been instrumental in promoting bellringing and supporting new and novice bellringers throughout Sussex.

She will now undertake her ambitious challenge to celebrate her 50th birthday on April 27. Her plan is to ring church bells in 50 Sussex bell towers in 50 days, starting next week on March 11.

She says her commitment and enthusiasm for bellringing will be put to the test as she continues to ring bells in the run-up to and including the Saturday after her birthday.

Along the way, she will be collecting donations for the Sussex County Association of Change Ringers’ Bell Restoration Fund which provides financial help for the restoration, maintenance and improvement of existing church bells, towers and belfries.The first church tower she will visit is St Giles in Graffham where she will join the Graffham ringers at a morning practice session. This will be followed by her home church towers of St John the Baptist, Kirdford, and St Mary’s in Billingshurst.

She then plans to tour the many towers of Sussex in a carefully planned journey over the subsequent weeks. The presence of Holy Week during her challenge has hindered her schedule because there is no ringing during this week – so she plans to double up on some towers to compensate.Bellringers are famously welcoming to visitors and in each tower Vicky will slot into their regular practice night, Saturday practices and Sunday service ringing.

She says she will undoubtedly be challenged by some of the methods she will be expected to ring. Bellringing ‘methods’ are named memorised ringing patterns. “Saint Nicholas” and other “Saint” methods are Vicky’s favourite and on these she prefers to ring the treble – the lightest bell -or the tenor, the heaviest bell.

She is hoping that at some of the venues there will be enough fellow method ringers to give her the chance to ring these methods. The whole process should also allow her to perfect “Bob Doubles” and “Grandsire” that she is learning.Vicky is also looking forward to ringing in some of the bigger towers in Sussex and in particular, one of the ten bell towers that exist in Brighton.Anyone who wants to support Vicky in her unique challenge can go to her Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/50towers or meet her when she visits one of the towers.

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Vicky’s itinerary, is subject to change, but currently stands at: March 11: Graffham, Kirdford; March 12: Billingshurst; March 13: Aldingbourne, Pagham; March 14: Goring; March 15: Shipley; March 15: Walberton: March 17: Arundel; March 18: Storrington: March 20: Amberley; March 21: Findon: March 22: Henfield: March 23: Steyning; March 24: Twineham, Slaugham; March 25: Midhurst, Easebourne, Lodsworth; March 26: Wisborough Green; March 27: West Tarring: March 28: Aldwick; March 29: Upper Beeding; March 30: Angmering; March 31: Fletching.

April 1: Milland, Stedham (unconfirmed); April 5: Thakeham; April 11 Battle; April 12: Saddlescombe; April 13: Rye; April 14: Hastings, Christchurch; April 17: Brighton; April 18: Lewes; April 19: Stoughton, Chichester: April 20: Bosham; April 21: Bolney; April 22: Petworth (unconfirmed), Northchapel; April 24: Westbourne; April 25: Balcombe; April 26:Heene; April 28: Itchingfield; April 29: Lyminster, Felpham, Yapton, Walberton, Slindon.