Ringing World 5157 (26 February 2010)

Front Cover: Holy Cross, South Ockendon by Philip Denton
A project was launched last year to provide a new light ring of eight bells for Holy Cross, South Ockendon, a Roman Catholic church in Essex. The church building, designed by Henry Bingham Towner of Uckfield, Sussex, was completed in 1961. It serves a parish established in the early 1950s, when a large new housing estate was built between the existing settlements of South Ockendon and Aveley. The M25 just north of the Dartford Crossing passes through the middle of the parish. The church building is of traditional design for its date, and has a squat but otherwise generously proportioned tower.

Letters
The Duke of Stettin-Pomerania - Anthony Smith
More orange juice matters … - Graham K. Austin
Dreaming Spires – most visible? - Simon Bond
Out-of-date websites - Chris Williams
St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Chatteris - Richard Edgley
An Essex viewpoint - Jim Lilley
Wilton peal footnote - Bill Butler
Bedfordshire memories – Mike Callow

Leading quarter peal ringers 2009
Each year when I come to write this little summary I often wonder what I should lead with. Well, this time around I am spoilt for choice.

The NUA – York 2009 by Kevin Atkinson
The Northern Universities Association (NUA) meeting is held annually, usually during late November. Officially the purpose of the meeting is for university societies to compete for the striking competition and the boat race trophies. Sister to the SUA, the NUA has always been a popular weekend and this one was no exception. At the NUA in Leeds the previous year, York was persuaded into hosting the event for 2009. Each year the format is roughly similar – an unknown number of ringers descend on the hosting city, grab a couple of towers on the Friday night, make their way to a pub and eat. Accommodation comprises a church hall floor, preferably a heated hall (take note Warwick!), and a day of ringing on the Saturday including the boat race in the evening. Following food and striking competition results an alcohol fuelled barn dance usually continues into the night.

Obituaries
Clifford A Barron, Valerie Winifred Willard, Philip Bosworth

Jennifer Johnson’s 1,000 quarters by Daisy Duke
I’ve known Jen for a long time so I wasn’t surprised to be invited to write a short piece summarising her quarter peals. Thirty-something years, and six volumes of appalling handwriting to look through!

Thought for the week
Archbishop Desmond Tutu tells the story about the difference between Heaven and Hell.

Book Review
The Church Bells of Yorkshire: Diocese of York, the North Riding
by Ranald W.M. Clouston with contributions from George A. Dawson
CD-ROM publication, available from George A. Dawson, 112 Main Street, Willoughby on the Wolds, Loughborough, LE12 6SZ (price £15 including postage and packing)
As anyone interested in bells and ringing hardware will know, there are two main ways of finding out what’s up a particular tower. One is to visit, and the other is to find out from someone who has already been. That “someone” may have published a book, contributed to an online resource (e.g. Dove online, the Dawson NBR or one of the local listing sites) or provided information direct. Despite the vast amount of information that is accessible nowadays, a lot of valuable detail remains unpublished and difficult to access.

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