Belfry Gossip
We Won The annual Wellingborough Branch Striking Competition was held at St. Mary’s Wilby in mid June. Five teams competed for the coveted shield and we once again returned home as overall winners with Moulton as runners up. The judges were new to the job and must have found the task somewhat daunting. Listening to every sound and marking faults for clashes and uneveness tests anyone’s concentration.
Pam’s 1000th Congratulations to Pam Bailey on ringing her 1000th quarter peal. This was accomplished on July 10th when we rang a quarter of Stedman Triples to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
Wedding Ringing Catastrophe! On the day of our annual outing in June, we were listed to ring for a wedding. Ringers were imported from neighbouring churches, only to find when they arrived, the couple had not requested the bells. Blushes all round, but an Anglican compromise was agreed.
Meg Boatright How good it was to welcome Meg back with us for a week. Although she was sensible not to climb the stairs to the ringing chamber, she joined us at the pub after practice and also for our barbecue on the following Sunday. Meg receives copies of Grapevine and keeps in touch with belfry activities through this column.
Barbecue Again we all met in Brenda and John’s garden for our annual get together. Traditionally it is very sunny and warm but this year we had to wait until we had eaten before the sun appeared. Virtually straight afterwards, Viv rang her first quarter peal of Yorkshire Surprise – well done.
Annual Outing After much planning and organising, we set off on our full day’s outing. This year we ventured to the very pleasant area, south of Birmingham, on the Worcester/Warwickshire border. With the temperature decidedly cooler than the previous hot and humid day and with steady drizzle for the journey, we all eventually arrived at St. Laurence Alvechurch. Having to enquire from a local, the position of the church, we heard the first of many slight Brummie accents. Here we encountered a Swedish dry loo, a magnificent modern church hall and bells that required immediate attention. The Hall, known as the Ark, was described by their Rector as "the most exciting building project Alvechurch has seen for the past 150 years". Stoke Prior was our next tower. The ringing chamber had extremely wide cracks in the stone work and the number of glass "tell tales" positioned in the walls were indicative of the architect’s concerns. We were complimented on doing justice to another difficult ring of 8 bells. Pub lunches followed. Avid Archers listeners will be pleased to know we rang at Hanbury which is the set of bells used for this radio programme. They were the last set of bells to be installed by Taylors of Loughborough before the outbreak of World War 2 - a good set of bells. With the church built on a knoll, we could view the Malvern Hills, Bredon Hill and the Cotswolds.
Our next stop at Feckenham saw most of our party spend a little time at the village fete or "wake" as it was called. Some were able to enjoy the cream teas, served and eaten in the church while others pulled away upstairs. At Alcester, an old Roman town, all the bells had their names inscribed on the wooden panelling in the ringing chamber e.g. Peace, Unity, Concord etc. – another good set of bells. The churchyard was runner up in the 2004 best-kept churchyard competition
After our picnic tea we negotiated an extremely difficult old wooden ladder to reach the ringing chamber to ring the 6 bells of Aston Cantlow.
On our outings we certainly see and experience different aspects of rural, urban and church life as well as different types of bells and people. This year was rural, very picturesque with interesting bells.
Holidays Some of our ringers have already enjoyed their holidays but Sunday Service and Wedding ringing was not affected. The ringers wish everyone an enjoyable and safe holiday.
Tintinnabulum
www.stmarysringers.org.uk
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