October 2026

Brenda Dunn was a very special bellringer and a very special person. As a ringer at St Mary’s Bridport, she wrote a poem every year to celebrate that year’s events and excitements.

She was a ringer for over 50 years and one of the strongest supporters of ringing, the church, and the royal occasions we were asked to ring for (and these were very special occasions to Brenda). She was one
of the first women bellringers to ring in St Mary’s, and she lit up the tower ringing chamber with her wit and warmth.

After she died in 2025, her husband Sam – also a bellringer – gave us all the poems Brenda had written and expertly and enthusiastically read out at the annual bellringers’ dinners.

(As an aside, Sam was the tower steeplekeeper in his time and took a strong interest in maintaining not only the bells but also the famous, rare Ellacombe Apparatus. This device allows one ringer to sound all eight bells from one position and was especially useful during Covid because it allowed us to ring without breaking the rules. It also allowed Sam to ring Happy Birthday to Brenda every year.)

Brenda was a strong royalist, and we invited her to come out of retirement to join us to ring for the Coronation of King Charles III in May 2023.

We miss both Brenda and Sam, and acknowledge their wonderful contribution to bellringing at St Mary’s.

We have printed a booklet (pictured) of Brenda’s wonderful poems, and copies are available to pick up from the parish office in St Mary’s Church, South Street (open on weekdays from 9am to 1pm) for a suggested donation of £10.

Bob Hardwick, Tower Captain,
St Mary’s Bridport

Brenda’s favorite poem (and ours too):

Ring for the King, 2023

I had to give up ringing when the years caught up with me,

I missed you all ’cos in the tower is where I like to be,

But then last May I had a call that made me want to sing –

’Cos Bob phoned up and said to me “Will you ring for the King?”

The Coronation day arrived with clouds up in the sky,

That didn’t really matter as our spirits were on high,

Prosecco on the table, flags draped on everything,

The Treble Bell now beckoned me to now Ring for the King.

I’ve rung bells on Sundays and on outings I have been,

And then there was full muffle that we rang for our Queen.

Christmas, New Year, Jubilee, such memories they bring…

Of all these the very best was Ringing for the King!