The Wandle Ringers are honoured and delighted to have been asked to give a concert in St Margaret's, Westminster, at 6.15pm on Saturday, 26th March 2011 as part of the celebrations for the Centenary of The Ringing World.

The team is celebrating its 25th birthday this year, as it was formed by Sandra Winter in 1986 as an evening class group. They began as the 'South Norwood Belles' using a small twelve bell set of American (Malmark) handbells, which Sandra gradually augmented as finances allowed and the number of ringers increased. In 1988 a change of venue and the introduction of gentlemen necessitated a change of name, chosen because the River Wandle flows through the area covering South London and Surrey from which many of the members come.

In 2000 a five octave, 61 bell set of English bells, mainly Whitechapel, was purchased from George Francis, and in 2004 a new five octave set was commissioned from Whitechapel. The new instruments now comprise the 'concert' set, with the Francis bells used as duplicates. The group, now made up of twenty ringers, also plays five octaves of Malmark handchimes.

The team has performed at many venues in the South East including the Waldorf Hotel and the Fairfield Halls. They are members of the Handbell Ringers of Great Britain, and have represented the South East Region in the National Rally Concert on two occasions. In 2007 they were honoured to be asked by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry to perform for the European Bell Founders at Founders Hall in London. The team's ringing in support of charitable causes raises over a thousand pounds every year.

The Wandle Ringers' repertoire encompasses a wide variety of styles, including arrangements of classical and popular music and original handbell compositions.

Sandra Winter

BB BellBoard
CC
Central Council of Church Bell Ringers