Hartlepool expat's 400-mile pilgrimage to repeat bell ringing feat after 60 years

Bells rang out across Hartlepool after John Pladdys travelled over 400 miles to his hometown to repeat a historic personal achievement.
By Mark Payne
Published 21st Feb 2020, 06:00 BST
Updated 21st Feb 2020, 06:15 BST
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The retired schoolteacher who was born in Hartlepool came all the way from Penzance in Cornwall where he now lives to commemorate the 60th anniversary of his first full bellringing peal at Stranton Church.

John was aged only 14 when he completed his first ever peal on the day Prince Andrew was born in 1960.

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A full peal consists of a team of ringers successfully ringing a tower’s bells in every possible order without repeating any of the sequences.

Bellringer John Pladdys outside All Saints Church Stranton. Picture by FRANK REIDBellringer John Pladdys outside All Saints Church Stranton. Picture by FRANK REID
Bellringer John Pladdys outside All Saints Church Stranton. Picture by FRANK REID

Since then, John’s love of bellringing has taken him all over the country and abroad, including America, Canada and Holland.

But he says he owes it all to learning the art at Stranton Church.

“I’ve rung 3,900 since but nothing eclipses the excitement I felt when I completed that first peal,” said John, 74, who grew up on Owton Manor and went to Brinkburn Grammar School, now Hartlepool Sixth Form College.

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“I remember the tower captain Bill Maughan rubbing my head and saying ‘you are a proper ringer now’.”

John Pladdys (left) with fellow ringers in the bell tower of Stranton Church during the performance of the full peal. Picture by FRANK REIDJohn Pladdys (left) with fellow ringers in the bell tower of Stranton Church during the performance of the full peal. Picture by FRANK REID
John Pladdys (left) with fellow ringers in the bell tower of Stranton Church during the performance of the full peal. Picture by FRANK REID

On Wednesday, February 19, John and a team of seven other ringers successfully completed a full peal of a sequence called Stedman at the church in two hours 42 minutes.

He said: “All sorts of things can happen and go wrong such as clappers falling out, ropes breaking or people banging on the door complaining and disturbing your concentration.

“But everything went without a hitch. It went perfectly.”

Wednesday was also the first time that local ringer Jack Hanlon successfully completed the particular sequence which involves 5,000 ‘changes’ – specific variations in the ringing sequence.

Bell ringer John Pladdys (front left) with fellow ringers Jack Hanlon, Adam Crocker, Simon Edwards, Robert Crocker, John Napier, Jon Walters and Simon Edwards, in the bell tower of Stranton Church. Picture by FRANK REIDBell ringer John Pladdys (front left) with fellow ringers Jack Hanlon, Adam Crocker, Simon Edwards, Robert Crocker, John Napier, Jon Walters and Simon Edwards, in the bell tower of Stranton Church. Picture by FRANK REID
Bell ringer John Pladdys (front left) with fellow ringers Jack Hanlon, Adam Crocker, Simon Edwards, Robert Crocker, John Napier, Jon Walters and Simon Edwards, in the bell tower of Stranton Church. Picture by FRANK REID
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John and the team celebrated the achievement with a fish and chip supper at Seaton Carew.

It was not the first time that John has returned to Stranton Church to ring its bells. He last was here around 18 months ago.

And in 1979, he took part in the ringing of full peals at Hartlepoo’s four bell towers over a weekend at St Aidan’s Church, St Oswald’s, Stranton and Christ Church.

Related topics:HartlepoolCornwall