Ringing World 5171 (4 June 2010)
The Edingers – A ‘teachathon’ at Edington
by Christine Sworder
Once the Edington ringing centre in the Devizes Branch of the Salisbury D.G. had been opened, discussion began about teaching some new learners. Asking around the branch produced a few names and so a ‘teachathon’ was planned. As the group was mostly children, the Easter holidays were earmarked. Adverts went out in local parish magazines, and we all waited with bated breath as 6th April approached.
Yorkshire Association AGM at Harrogate, Saturday, 8th May
The Association held its AGM this year in the environs of Nidderdale, which perfectly matched the Yorkshireman’s view of the County being God’s Own Country, with the Spring sunshine giving clear long distance views ranging from the high Pennines near Ingleborough right across the Vale of York to the Yorkshire Moors and Wolds beyond.
Ringing was available at Kirk Deighton, Hampthswaite, Beckwithshaw, Fewston (currently part-way through the augmentation and restoration of its bells), the two towers in Harrogate and at Knaresborough.
Teaching the Teachers – Bell control
by Vicki Williams
Back in September 2009 Kate Desbottes started to make enquiries about courses designed to teach students how to teach others to ring church bells. We had both attended the Surrey Association’s Teach the Teacher session earlier in the year, run by Chris Stanley, which we found very useful and enjoyable. We were now keen to look at any alternative approaches.
The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers Education Committee had modules from just such a course that they could run for us over one day; Teaching the Teachers: Bell Control. The logistics were agreed; two tutors, Gill Hughes and Catherine Lewis, teaching four Surrey students, Ed Muller, Phaedra Sawbridge, Kate and myself. For the afternoon sessions we were to have two actual pupils join us. As expected in the latter part of the year, our calendars conspired against us and it was mid January before we could schedule the event.
Knutsford and Warburton Ringers & Friends — ‘The Spring Tour’
by Peter Robertson
What better is there to do on a day that felt like Spring really had arrived than to head out in the direction of Chester with four renowned bell towers in the programme. That’s a strictly rhetorical question … no alternative could even be contemplated! At least that was the case for the 20-or-so ringers and supporters from Knutsford and Warburton who, unusually for just a few, were up with the larks on a Saturday morning.
Carlisle Diocesan Guild Young Ringer’s Award
by Wendy Graham
The award is a memorial to Leslie Boumphrey who was well-known both locally and nationally and it was presented to Nathaniel by Leslie’s widow, Margaret, who is herself tower master at Carlisle Cathedral.At the recent AGM, Nathaniel Green (17) of Tallentire received the Young Ringer’s Award for 2010. This consists of an elegant trophy made from a handbell together with a book token and is given to the ringer under 21 who is deemed to have made most progress and been generally helpful to other ringers.
Letters
An Essex witch-hunt? — Michael Uphill
Blanket CRB checks — Richard Gray
Derby and Darby — Phil Gay
Mount Edgcumbe – a challenge — Ted Goater
Who tolls? — Anne Anthony
The Sight of Gentle Maiden Deftly Handling of a Rope by Steve Coleman
6. Resistance!
It’s all very well you writing about male support for the early women ringers, but what about the opposition? What about the nay-sayers and the reactionaries? What about the resistance?
Ely D.A. Inter-District Striking Competition
The Ely D.A. held its annual 8 bell Inter- District Striking Competition after the AGM at Burwell, Cambs, on Monday May 3rd. After an excellent lunch the AGM followed the usual course, after which many of those present moved over to Burwell church, either to participate or listen to the ringing. It was pleasing that most of the ringers of two of the three teams had attended the AGM. The test piece was 224 changes on 8. Burwell bells are a tricky 8 and the first two teams (Huntingdon and Ely) both elected to ring triples. The third team, Cambridge, rang major. While we were waiting for the judges to come to a decision, there was open ringing on the bells for those who had not rung in the competition and coffee and cakes were enjoyed by all.
A Saturday at home
by Oddsrtuck
It was Saturday and the Eminent Ringer was in a Bad Mood, having been obliged to look after the Four Year Old instead of ringing the customary peal or two. By mid-afternoon the Four Year Old was still going strong, but the Eminent Ringer was bored and fed up. An attempt to learn the new Maximus method for the following day had failed when the Four Year Old had asked for help laying out the train set. When that was done, and hoping the FYO would be occupied for a while, the Eminent Ringer had escaped to the computer in the corner of the room and attempted to use ABEL, but after five minutes the FYO had seen the computer was in use and had demanded to play a game on it. Half an hour of CBeebies games was enough.
Time for a more traditional occupation.
“Come and sit on the settee with me and I’ll tell you a story.”
Obituary
Don Drayton 1914 – 2010
A “Kids In Charge” tower grab
by Paddy Taylor
My wife, Hazel, had agreed to be the driver for two of the kids – Harvey Innocent aged 11 from our own tower at Offchurch, and Becki Hawkins, aged 13, who rings at Kineton. There were prizes on offer for the most towers visited, so you could say that the pressure was on Hazel from the start! She left home shortly after 8am to collect Harvey, and make her way to the first tower on the list at Barford, where they met up with Becki. By the time they had finished at Ettington, at around 7.30pm, they had visited 21 out of the 25 towers that had been opened, and were the winners. Wow!Saturday, May 1st was a date that had been in our diary for some 6 months; it was to be the occasion for a tower grab for the “Kids in Charge” group of children, who are learning bellringing with Graham Nabb at the Harry Windsor Ringing Centre at St Peter’s, Kineton. Graham had also organised a Tower Open Day at the same towers on the same day as part of his fundraising for renovating the bells at Avon Dassett. It promised to be a busy day, and, as events turned out, that was some understatement!
Joe Allen, 13, rings first quarter peal in hand at first attempt
On 11th May 2010, after school with his Maths teacher, and at the age of 13 Joe Allen has successfully rung his first Quarter Peal of Plain Bob Minimus in hand at St Sampson’s High School, Guernsey. He has now moved on to tower bells at the Vale Church and is progressing well.
It all started at the Summer Channel Island District Meeting in Jersey when Joe’s Maths teacheDuncan Loweth had an introduction to handbell ringing by Helen McGregor. It wasn’t until October when teaching combinations and factorials that Duncan had the inspiration to contextualise the topic with bellringing patterns. This was enjoyed so much by his pupils that he decided to start a lunchtime handbell ringing club.
Thought for the week
Joie de Vivre
There is something splendid about this time of year, the days are long and around us life is full of vitality. I watched some young sparrows sitting on the garden fence a few days ago: curiously dishevelled with their downy infant coat giving way to adult feathers which stuck out at all angles like young children that had just started trying to dress themselves, soaking up the warm sunlight while clinging uncertainly to the fence, they chattered and yelled to each other much to the concern of their parents who seemed worried they’d draw attention to themselves and be in danger.
Forest Branch Training Day
by Cathy Baker
On Saturday, 24th April 2010 the Forest Branch of the Gloucester and Bristol Association held its Annual Training Day based in Mitcheldean. This has been a regular event for several years, but the organisers were taken aback by the particularly positive response this year.
Inaugural Scottish handbell day
by Tina Stoecklin and Simon Gay
Saturday, 8th May saw a small congregation of people walking the streets of Shettleston carrying suspicious-looking black cases. The destination: 1 Albany Quadrant, a yet little-known ringing venue. The goal: as much handbell ringing as could be fitted into one day (not counting tea, food, and anecdote breaks).
