Front Cover: Fred Smeaton’s 100th birthday
Frederick Nelson Smeaton was born on Saturday, May 15th 1909, and started his ringing life in 1923 when he was just 14. He learned to ring at Withyham, where he had been a choirboy since he was 6.

The 2009 Tewkesbury Shield
This year’s Tewkesbury Shield, the 37th, was held on Saturday, 2nd May, and seven teams took part. The standard was as high as ever with all the teams successfully completing the test piece.

Letters
Attention Charity Trustees – new reporting requirement - Kate Flavell
Re: Open that door! - Paul Marshall
Brothers in peals - Barbara Taylor

The churches, towers and bells of Francis Johnston by Simon Walker – Part 2
The continuation of last week's cover story...

Obituaries
Laura Powell, Revd Roger Newton

Reunion of the Ladykillers!
Just after the end of World War II when the wartime ban on ringing was lifted, two "likely lads", Harry Wells and Neil Belson joined the band at Nettlebed, near Henley in Oxfordshire, which at the time was a "ringing off the cards" band. Neil had done a bit of ringing before the War but Harry was new to it. They soon realised that there were methods out there waiting to be rung and by substituting ringing books for the cards they set out to master Grandsire Doubles.

From the E-Lists A round-up from the internet compiled by John Camp
Mark Ockelton, always willing to make a daring conjecture in construing a document, observed that a bull might need a heavy leather collar.

Thought for the week
I recently came across some verses from The Prophet by Lebanese-American artist, philosopher and writer Kahil Gibran. They summarised perfectly my feelings in respect of my own children and, with some minor amendments, are equally appropriate for the generations of young ringing pupils who I have helped train.

Loughborough opens its doors!
Taylors, Eayre & Smith opened the doors of the Bellfoundry in Loughborough to over 100 visitors on Saturday, 2nd May for a free Open Day.