Belfry Gossip

 All who attended the Service of Thanksgiving for the Restoration of the Church could not fail to have been impressed with the service itself. Our thoughts now turn to our celebrations over the weekend of May 31^st and June 1^st.

On Saturday afternoon, May 31^st a peal, which has never been rung before, will be attempted. As a new peal, it has no name and so we look forward to hear what name the eight ringers involved, decide to call it. The name will no doubt reflect some aspect of the Golden Jubilee.

The ringers hope as many members of all the Sunday congregations as possible will join together for the Special Service of Holy Communion at 10 30am. at which the preacher will be Canon Michael Wilson, Rector of Rushden between 1969 and 1982. We welcome both Michael and Vivienne back to Rushden for this special weekend and thank them for sparing the time from their very busy retirement schedule.

Well over 100 guests have been invited, many of whom have either had some connection with ringing at Rushden during the past 50 years, or are officers of the Peterborough Guild of Ringers. Following the service there will be a buffet lunch for the guests in the Church Hall. We shall also be welcoming both ringers and parishioners from our "sister" parish of Rushden in Hertfordshire. After the service they will enjoy a pub lunch before rejoining us for some afternoon ringing between 2 30pm. and 4 30pm.

The usual quarter peal for the evening service will include ringers from Canada, Papua New Guinea and Devon as well as some present Rushden ringers. The eight ringers will represent ringing at Rushden during the past 50 years and will hopefully conclude a very successful and memorable weekend.

So what about our new ringing chamber? We have been extremely pleased to welcome members of the congregation, who have ventured the 15 steps to have a look at us in our new surroundings. If you are interested, do please come before we start ringing at 10 45am. on Sunday mornings or even on Friday evenings between 7pm. and 9pm.

The sun blinded us during Sunday evening ringing, so we fixed a blind in the west window. Later in the year, the air will get rather stuffy, so we are planning a window opening in the glass screen. We can’t see when the bride comes down the aisle, so we are replacing some of the panes of opaque glass with transparent ones. We anticipated these teething "problems" and are addressing them.

At present the moving of the heavy oak pew into the chamber is on hold while we consider alternative seating. Computerised seating plans have been drawn up - brain has overcome muscle power!

Our first three attempts at Sunday evening quarter peals came to grief, something we haven’t experienced for many years. We are still acclimatising to our new surroundings. The first successful quarter peal was for Mothering Sunday.

It’s all change with dates. Our re-arranged Coffee Morning, together with trips up the tower, to help replenish our monies, will be on Saturday June 28^th. Our annual outing will now be held on Saturday June 21^st. This will coincide with the annual Rushden (Hertfordshire) village fete and with that tower on our itinerary, our non-ringing friends can enjoy the fete as well as sample their delicious cream teas. Anyone interested in joining us should contact one of the ringers.

Our annual barbecue will now be on Sunday June 29^th (bound to be hot).

If you heard the bells on two Saturday mornings in April, one was for the Wellingborough Annual Quarter Peal Day and the second was for an area practice.

The Great Snowdon Project:

www.stmarysringers.org.uk

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