| Now a brief recent history of the band. After a period of silence, ringing resumed at Port Sunlight with the formation of a new band in 1979. Prior to the silence it was members of the local Boys' Brigade Company who manned the bells (well, they were all male so there is nothing politically incorrect here!) but ringing was generally confined to call changes.
| During augmentation at Heswall their ringers had been granted permission to use the bells for practice here on the understanding that they should also ring for Sunday Services. The conditions were gladly accepted. However, when the Heswall project was completed the bells became silent again. But not for long. The congregation had become accustomed to the welcoming call of the bells and asked if it was possible for a local band to be taught. With the patient help of Wirral Branch ringers, ringing, in the fulness of time, resumed. However, it was soon recognised that more adult recruits were needed, especially to handle the back bells. So, by 1980, three more adults were recruited and these remain to the present day.
| In September 1982, after a couple of false starts, the local band rang its first Quarter Peal, this believed to be the first ever by a Port Sunlight Sunday Service band! The number of quarter peals increased steadily from the mid-eighties, remaining at a high level into the nineties. By September 2000, the 500th Quarter Peal since the one in 1982 was scored, the vast majority of these quarters being rung by the Sunday service band, albeit frequently assisted by Wirral Branch ringers. In due course the Sunday Service band had rung the Standard Eight Surpise Major without any outside assistance. The first ever Peal by a Sunday Service band was scored in 1984 (Plain Bob Major). In 1988 Sunday Service bands rang Yorkshire Surpise Major and Stedman Triples, this latter peal including no less than seven 'firsts' and, as only subsequently realised, the first of Stedman Triples by an all Wirral band! All three peals, and three others since, including the 'double-peal' to mark the church centenary, are recorded on peal boards in the Ringing Chamber.
| A feature of the ringing at Port Sunlight is the constant aim for good striking. This has resulted in the band winning the Wirral Branch Six-Bell Striking Competition, often by the narrowest of margins over 'rivals' Oxton, thirteen times since 1985.
| At the present time (March 2005) we are fairly well endowed, numerically, with ringers but this includes one who started in summer 04 and four who appeared for practice only at the beginning of March this year, although one had previously rung here albeit for a short period. Consequently our practices reflect this with much emphasis on basic ringing skills - rounds and call changes to Plain Bob Doubles. We also now ring touches of Stedman Doubles and Cambridge S Minor. Quarter Peals are arranged from time to time, mostly for afternoon services, often with the assistance of other Wirral Branch ringers although, increasingly, we are able to ring quarters with just Sunday Service ringers. New recruits always welcome - but not for the next couple of months!
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