Diocesan News: Sadly the death of a former Master of the Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Ringers was announced a few weeks ago. Malcolm Tyler was a Northamptonshire lad and was heavily involved in the musical and educational life of the county and diocese. As well as Master for several years, he was connected with St. John’s Peterborough, as captain of the ringers and organist. He was for some years one of the sub organists at the cathedral. Other musical interests included conductor of several Northampton choirs and music inspector for Northamptonshire. Whenever he visited schools he was always accompanied by his small dog, Sandy, who sat so obediently, especially while he conducted school and district choirs at music festivals. May he rest in peace. Sponsored Walk or Ride: On the Saturday before Easter Sunday, often known as Holy Saturday, Guild members and friends are invited to walk or cycle around Rutland Water. Money raised from this bit of fun and exercise goes towards the Guild Bell Fund. This fund is often called upon to help struggling churches repair or even rehang their bells and fittings, which in many cases can be very expensive. Each church in the diocese is also invited to contribute annually to this fund. St. Mary’s is a cheerful giver. Bishop’s Enthronement: Our new bishop will be enthroned this month in the cathedral. Brenda, as President of the Guild, has been invited, so we shall have at least one representative at the service. No doubt peals and quarters will be attempted throughout the Diocese to welcome our new bishop.
Striking Competition and Branch Quarter Peal Week: Both these events are being held in April. Rushden presently holds the Diocesan 6 bell Striking Competition Shield, having won in 2009. It has proudly been hanging in the ringing room for the last 12 months. Once again ringers from around the diocese will descend on Lois Weedon, or Weedon Louis if you live the other end of the village, for the 2010 competition. The annual Wellingborough Branch Quarter Peal Day will become the Quarter Peal Week, between April 14th and 21st, when quarters will be attempted throughout the Branch on any day during that week This will hopefully give more ringers the opportunity to take part. Arranging and ringing several quarters in one day was an organisational nightmare, and physically tiring.
Weddings: The season has started and we’ve already rung out two happy couples. The number of weddings in churches is sadly on the decline. In the 1970s, Tintinnabulum can well remember on one particular Saturday ringing for five weddings. At a convenient point the ringers enjoyed a pint in the Wheatsheaf together with fish and chips for sustenance, fetched, I believe, from the Lightstrung fish and chip shop. Two weddings per Saturday were a common occurrence. Those were the days! Talking of a pint, our usual watering hole at Yelden, after Friday night ringing, has become rather musically noisy and we have supported the Swan at Newton. We have been very successful in the meat raffle. Unfortunately one of our ringers can’t get her Old Rosie there.
Top Secret: We were sworn to secrecy. “I would like you to ring for Ann’s 70th birthday, on 8 bells, but don’t let her know of my plans”, said Denis. We were delighted to ring for Ann Riley’s special birthday. In fact she got two bites of the cherry. On the Saturday evening, the Branch held a practice at St. Mary’s which co incided with Ann’s surprise birthday meal for her many friends in the church hall. On the Sunday we attempted a quarter peal. Congratulations Ann, join the clan.
Easter Ringing: As is customary at St. Mary’s we hope to attempt a half-muffled quarter peal after the 9 30am service on Good Friday. In previous years this is usually in full swing during the March of Witness. We no longer ring for the early communion on Easter Day, but ring at 10am for the Easter Family Communion and for the evening service.
Meg Boatright who died some time ago was a faithful member of St. Mary’s and our band of ringers. Her husband John, was a former curate at St. Mary’s. Although we rang a quarter peal at the time of her passing, we always intended ringing a 3-hour peal in her memory. This will be attempted at St. Mary’s on the Sunday afternoon after Easter, Low Sunday. Meg would have been delighted to know it will be a nearly 100% band of Rushden ringers and the attempted method will be her favourite 8 bell method, Double Norwich Court Bob Major. (Tintinnabulum 3 explained the name of this method in last month’s Gossip).
Rushden Town Refurbishment: This did not appear in the ET on April Fool’s Day, but a suggestion was voiced in the consultation process, there should be a bandstand near St. Mary’s church – brass bands and bells are not good mixers, not even on Sundays!
St. George’s Day: With the Town Council organising some events in the High Street on the Saturday after the official April 23rd, we thought we should do our bit to celebrate our Patron Saint. We hope to ring a quarter and hopefully there will no bands!
Churchwarden asks for his Frog Back: One March Friday evening at practice, we watched from our monitor screen in the ringing room, three youths enter the Tower Room below and take the green stuffed frog (with the crown). Our ringing churchwarden and Alan dashed down and confronted them in the churchyard. Being reminded the theft had been recorded on disc, they timidly returned the frog.