Belfry Gossip
Open Door The ringers’ report to the Church Annual Meeting, intimated the difficulty
in recruiting and retaining suitable campanologists of different ages.
Learning the art of bell ringing is slightly more sophisticated than kicking
a ball around, pushing coloured balls on a green surface, standing on the
street corner or, in the case of Rushden, smashing shop windows. Equally,
after appeals to the congregation for potential recruits brings a negative
response, the net has to be widened. This is where our plans for the Open
Door may hopefully prove more productive.
A group of our ringers discussed the issue and have submitted their ideas
to all the ringers and to the committee of the Open Door project.
During the weekend of the VJ celebrations in August, we are again organising trips up the tower together with intermittent ringing sessions. For people unable to climb the sixty six steps, a screen, positioned at the back of the church will relay live video images of the bells in action. Recruiting leaflets, explaining something about the aspects and demands of ringing are being produced and will be made available. Coupled with the usual cuppa, it should be an interesting and hopefully productive morning.
We thought the idea from someone, suggesting the Frog Island Brewery in Northampton be asked to brew a special one-off barrel entitled "Open Door", was slightly ambitious.
Six Bell Striking Competition In April we entered a team in the Diocesan Guild’s six bell striking competition held at St. Mary’s Bozeat. The bells are extremely heavy with some being rather odd struck – no complaints though, as it’s the same for all the competing teams. The first three places were an exact repeat of last year’s result, although more teams were entered this year. We were again placed in third position and so must do better in 2006.
Branch Striking Competition This will be held in the middle of June at St. Mary’s Wilby. Unlike the six bells at Bozeat, these are very much lighter in weight and are an anti-clockwise ring. This means the sequential order of the bells when rung, is contrary to the normal circular clockwise position of the ropes. After ringing a few rounds, this can soon be overcome. This is the competition we usually win, but then who knows what may happen!
Royal Wedding It seems ages since the Windsor wedding, in fact in May, the Prince of Wales took a few days of retreat at a monastery in Romania. We intended to ring a quarter peal and indeed we nearly did, but collapsed (that means we went wrong) after about 40 minutes of ringing. Rather than disappoint the royal couple, we sent them one of our commemorative certificates, saying we rang Cambridge Surprise Major for them – so far we haven’t received an acknowledgement.
John’s Safe Return John Allen has returned safely from Chile after a month’s stay. In between our ringing, he recounts many tales of his adventures. The locals found the shots of the ringing chamber and some ringing quite intriguing.
Leading Quarter Pealers St. Mary’s again topped the list of towers within the Diocese for the number of quarters rung during 2004. In many ways we have an in-built advantage over most churches in the Diocese, in that very few now have a service of evensong or indeed any evening service. Our quarters were virtually all rung for Sunday Services.
100th Birthday Well not really, but a 40th and 60th celebration combined. An enjoyable Bank Holiday to celebrate Simon and Alan’s birthdays with a buffet lunch and drinks. Bob Dennis, the airline pilot, celebrated his retirement and 60th birthday in a similar way, although the weather was cold and showery.
Also This Month Annual day’s outing and the barbecue.
Tintinnabulum
www.stmarysringers.org.uk
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