Paul Adlington, Business Development Manager at Epwin Window Systems, was one of a team of bell ringers who rang the bells at St Mary’s Church in Astbury, Cheshire for an hour and a half as part of the ‘Ring for the King’ coronation celebrations on 6 May, 2023.
Paul said: “It was an honour to take part in the historic coronation celebrations at my local church. I’ve been a campanologist – a bell ringer – for six months and this was a highlight for me.”
The Ring for the King initiative was organised by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers and saw churches all over the country join in to create a national soundscape to mark the coronation.
Paul commented: “Church bells have rung out to celebrate special occasions and to signify special events for hundreds of years, so we were continuing a long tradition.”
At St Mary’s Church in Astbury, a team of 30 people rang the bells for an hour and a half from 11:15am while Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey. It was the culmination of three months of training and practice for the event.
Paul has been Business Development Manager at Epwin Window Systems for seven years. He said: “There are a lot of similarities between business and bell ringing because success depends on team work. You need to work hard as an individual, but you also need to draw on the skills and expertise of the people around you. It was amazing to see everyone come together on 6 May to put the months of practice into action. It’s something I’ll always remember.”