Belfry Gossip for July/August

It is always difficult to say for certain when summer really starts. Yes, there is the official British Summer Time when the clocks spring forward, but somehow that is too early. No, for me Whitsun (or Pentecost if you prefer) - although now secularised as the Spring Bank Holiday- marks the start of summer. For non-ringers summer no doubt is synonymous with Wimbledon, cricket, strawberries and cream and lazy days in the garden or on the beach. For ringers it means the Central Council, outings, weddings, striking competitions, holidays (ringing ones, of course) and, last but not least, Brenda’s Barbeque.

You will have read in theses pages of tower AGMs, District AGMs and even Guild AGMs. Well, the meeting of the Central Council (of Church Bell ringers) might be considered to be the ultimate AGM. Once a year, in a different venue each time, representatives from every county and diocesan association meet to consider everything which could possibly relate to bell ringing, from bell restoration to ringing methods to record keeping and ringing trends. This year they met in Derby and, no doubt, as the year progresses we will read about their debates in the Ringing World.

I am pleased to report that Holly and Megan, our latest recruits are doing well. I am also pleased to report that we have rung five quarter peals in the last month. Two were for Evensong, one, on May 2^nd, was a 65^th birthday compliment to Alan Marks and one on 30^th May was a first- anniversary-of-being -rector compliment to Stephen Prior. The quarter peal on 16^th May was in memoriam, it being the birth date of Mark, son of Chris and Frances Pearson who often ring with us.

To continue the serious note, few people cannot be moved by the sight of the silent crowds lining the streets of Wooton Basset, or the mournful tolling of the bell, as fallen servicemen are driven through that Wiltshire town, as they have been since April 2007. No one organised the crowds or the bell; both happened almost by chance. Initially a few members of the British Legion were in the High Street when a cortege went by and they stood in respectful silence, later asking to be notified of such events - and slowly the numbers swelled. The bell tolling had a similar beginning. A cortege was due late one Monday evening, which was practice night. The ringers felt that it would be inappropriate to ring and tolled the 19cwt tenor instead; it has been tolled for the passing of fallen soldiers ever since.

Let us hope that the bell does not toll again this summer.

We wish you all a safe and happy summer and, for those of you holidaying in England, we hope that you will enjoy the quintessentially English sound of church bells ringing the changes wherever you may be.

Third Reserve Tintinnabulum