Belfry Gossip
Easter Ringing For the first time for some years we failed in the attempted half muffled quarter peal on Good Friday morning – and that was after a false start. However the Easter Day ringing was successful, with a 7 30am. start, again at 10am. and a quarter peal for the evening service of Easter Carols.
Commemorative Boards Our thanks are extended to Michael Hadley and Clive Wood for donating two inscribed boards commemorating the Service of Thanksgiving in March 2003 for the restoration of the tower and spire, together with the Golden Jubilee celebrations in May 2003 for the rehanging and augmentation of the bells in 1953 and the construction of the new ringing chamber.
Special Anniversaries We were delighted to ring for David and Sylvia Brandford’s Golden Wedding celebrations at the beginning of April. On a glorious Sunday afternoon, they both sat in the churchyard listening to the quarter peal and afterwards popped upstairs to thank us. We rang a method called Lincolnshire Surprise Major and although it was a bit "choppy" right at the end, it was successfully completed in 46 minutes. We presented David and Sylvia with one of our commemorative certificates. And thanks for the pieces of cake.
John Goes South West One of our ringers, John Allen, has been in Chile for a month, meeting up with various people, including Bishop Abelino and Patti, together with doing some walking. By the time this month’s Grapevine is published he will be on his homeward journey or perhaps even ringing with us again. Having filmed various aspects of life at St. Mary’s, including the ringers, to use on his visit, he will return with shots of life in South America. So welcome home John.
Visiting Ringers Gossip readers will know that ringing is a catholic activity and ringers are not specifically tied to their own set of bells. Our ringers use other bells, both near and far and visiting ringers are welcomed to St. Mary’s. On the second Sunday in April, Derek Sibson, perhaps better known to readers as the former general surgeon at Kettering General Hospital, brought a band of ringers for a 3 hour peal. They successfully completed a method called Rushden Surprise Major.
National Accomplishment About this time each year, various campanological lists are compiled both in our Diocese and also in the Ringing World, our national weekly newspaper. These lists show the people who have rung the most peals, quarter peals, how many towers involved etc. etc. for the previous year. For 2004, St. Mary’s was placed 6th in the quarter peal "Leading Towers" list for the whole country. We now await the Diocesan list for the leading quarter peal towers to see if we have maintained our number one spot within the Peterborough Diocese.
Planning Outings and other activities requires careful and thoughtful planning. This year, for our annual outing in June, we are hoping to tour around the Warwickshire/Worcestershire border. Armed with road atlases, ringing books listing "which" churches have "what" bells, together with the Good Pub Food Guide, the planning group have just sorted out the day. The secretary then has to contact all the towers and trust that our planned times to ring at the various churches are not scuppered by weddings, garden parties or indeed other ringers visiting at the same time: if so, it’s back to the drawing board.
Rome and Windsor Plans were made to ring a quarter peal at St. Mary’s on Friday April 8th for both the Pope’s funeral and the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla. With the change of day for the wedding, we agreed to still ring for the Pope’s Funeral and arrange another quarter peal for the Windsor wedding.
Buckingham Palace Two of our ringers have been invited to one of the famous summer garden parties held each year at the Palace. The invitation is not based on services to ringing, but through their work. It has been known for invitations to be extended for services to ringing and the church, so some of us may get a chance, one day! More graphic details of the visit in future Gossips.
Next month: The result of the Diocesan 6 bell striking competition held at Bozeat in April. We entered a team. Also, our Open Door plans.
Tintinnabulum