Author: Steve Thomason

Branch Ringing Day “Tremendous Result”

I’m really pleased to be able to confirm the final value raised by the recent Ringing Day, organised by North Bucks.
This was a tremendous result and the Bell Fund Trustees are grateful to all the Church Authorities who allowed their bells to be used and we say a huge “thanks-you”  to everyone who played their part in making the day a success.
The weather was excellent and the visitors did not seem deterred by the MK Marathon which was on at the same time. 24 towers were opened and £1151.20 was collected from visiting ringers for investment.

Thanks to you all and very best wishes

Alan Marchbank
Chairman
Oxford Diocesan Bell Fund”

Draw for Guild 8 Bell Striking Competition 6th May

The Competition will start at 1630 at Great Brickhill, as indicated in the Notice. The draw for ringing position and approximate time of ringing is as follows:.

 

Band

 Approx ringing time
1 High Wycombe 16.30
2 Central Bucks 16.45
3 Tilehurst 17.00
4 EBSB 17.15
5 North Bucks 17.30
6 Banbury Branch 17.45
7 Reading St Mary & St Giles 18.00
8 Young Ringers 18.15
Results announced in village hall 18.45pm

Traditional ringers’ teas will be available in the village hall and must be pre booked.

Tea, coffee & soft drinks will be available to all.

The village hall will be the base for the afternoon with teas and results there. It is about 200yds up the road from the church.

 

Notre Dame

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are today encouraging, where
possible, all cathedrals and churches across England to toll a bell for 7
minutes at 7pm this Thursday 18th April, as a mark of solidarity following the
devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. This initiative has been
suggested by the British Ambassador to France, Edward Llewellyn, and it is
hoped that many will take part.

http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/latest-news/archbishops-ask-cathedrals-and-churches-toll-bells-notre-dame

Please pass on this news, although clearly you should clarify the situation
with your clergy.

The first quarter of Cornerstone

On March 13th, 1992, in the presence of the Queen, a panoply of church leaders dedicated the Church of Christ the Cornerstone in Central Milton Keynes, the first ecumenical city centre church in Britain.  At the same time, at St Mary’s, Shenley, a band of ringers started to ring a quarter-peal in a new variation they named Cornerstone Doubles [Plain Bob with a Wallflower Single and a Grandsire Extreme] in honour of the new church. Unfortunately, a rope broke, and the quarter was unsuccessful – however, the band wrote to the Ringing World, and claimed the naming rights for the variation, which was therefore included in the on-line list of Doubles variations: http://www.cambridgeringing.info/Methods/Doubles/METHVAR.htm

This year, looking for another variation entirely, I came across it, and Doug Hird, the Branch archivist, was able to fill me in on the details.  I decided that it would be wonderful if, 27 years later, the branch could achieve the first quarter in the variation, especially as I needed some variety in my attempts to ring, as mayor, a quarter in every tower in Milton Keynes Council’s area.

A band made up of ringers from Woughton-on-the-Green, Bradwell and Bletchley, ringing at Lavendon, were ably steered by Simon Head through the pitfalls of unfamiliar calls (I think we knew the base method well enough), and achieved the first quarter in the variation, appropriately enough on the 27th anniversary of the first attempt, and of the dedication of Cornerstone.  The details are here: https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1275951

Doug is not sure of the make-up of that first band, who named the variation – they might want to stand up and take a bow.

Martin Petchey

Bellringing Simulator for Sale

Note below from Mike Catlin who rings at St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Flitwick, Beds.

I would just like to advise that I have at my disposal a “Dumb bell” or bell ringing simulator manufactured by me personally few years back that I now wish to dispose of.

It is made to a very high standard it can be installed at ground level or high up in a loft area and comes complete with an optical sensor and all of the required hardware for connection to a PC. Having used it on and off the past 5 years or so I feel the time is now right to move it on to a new home.

To this end I am planning to offer it for sale on E Bay in the very near future and wondering if perhaps it may be of interest to any of the ringers in your own tower? 

Scheduled date for listing on eBay is Friday 5th  to Sunday 14th April and for those interested it can be viewed in advance on:-

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ30kib-B2I.

Scheduled date for e Bay listing Friday 5th  to Sunday 14th April.